GCRF-Agricultural and Food systems Resilience: Increasing Capacity & Advising Policy (AFRICAP) is a major programme led by the University of Leeds to make agriculture and food production in sub-Saharan Africa more productive, sustainable and resilient to climate change.

Our aim is to support climate-smart, sustainable agricultural development, helping countries to reduce poverty and hunger whilst addressing the broader aims of the Sustainable Development Goals and key targets of the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods in Africa.

Over four years, we are working with national and regional governments, and with local agricultural organisations in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia to create an evidence base to underpin new country-specific policies in agriculture and food production.

Our team is co-developing and carrying out the research needed in each country, from soils, plant and livestock science to meteorology, ecology and political and social sciences. We explore current farming practices and the alternatives, and analyse the results both in current conditions and taking into account the predicted effects of climate change.

In a nutshell, AFRICAP translates research into evidence, evidence into policy and policy into practice, all while building capacity at the local and national level.

GCRF-AFRICAP is a £9.2 million programme funded by the UK Research and Innovation through the Global Challenges Research Fund, involving UK and African research and policy organisations; grant reference number BB/P027784/1.