Financial inclusion key to climate risk reduction for Zambia’s smallholders

In an attempt to help smallholder business owners become more resilient to climate variability and shocks, the World Food Programme (WFP) has launched the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative, aimed at tackling climate risk in a holistic manner, reports IPS.

“R4’s overall objective is to create an environment for private sector participation through market development to ensure sustainability … through insurance cover, credit provision, asset creation programmes and safety nets, as well as household saving … all of which have been identified as alternative ways of reducing vulnerability,” explained Allan Mulando, WFP Zambia’s Head of Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping Unit (VAM).