What roles could private actors play in agricultural adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa? Insights from publicly funded projects

This discussion brief examines the role of private actors in publicly funded agricultural adaptation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, identifying different types of involvement. The goal is to provide a foundation for exploring ways to expand the role of private actors, and to identify ways in which public climate finance could be used to catalyse and scale up private investment in the sector.

There is growing interest in the role that private finance could play in supporting those efforts. But while several opportunities for private investment have been identified on the mitigation side – for instance, in renewable energy – the private sector’s role in adaptation in developing countries is less understood.