In the face of climate extremes and economic shocks, resilience-oriented innovations is essential to sustain and increase productivity and to ensure food security in small-scale agrifood systems. With investments in agricultural research and adaptation well below estimated needs, Africa is at a disadvantage in the fight against climate challenges.

Drawing on the collective insights of fifteen African researchers and innovators, this brief recommends three strategies for more effectively investing in smallholder-centered research and innovation that advance climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture.

1. CAPACITY FIRST – Without robust, local capacity for context-specific research, climate-resilient production, and commercialization, African agrifood systems will not be able to take advantage of new technologies generated by international scientific programs. Substantive contributions by in-region researchers, producers, extension advisors, agri-entrepreneurs, public officials, and local financial institutions are critical to adaptation on farms and in agricultural value chains.

2. COLLABORATE IN CONTEXT – Resilience materializes when in-region institutions and local agrifood system stakeholders have access to relevant knowledge, technologies, and resources. Better connectivity across upstream and downstream research, between public and private sectors, and among research and policy communities can encourage context-specific co-investments that align with national priorities and foster regional-level coordination on a shared agricultural resilience agenda.

3. CONTINUITY ACROSS INVESTMENTS – Coping with climate change requires continuous support for a diverse R&D portfolio and smoother transitions across different stages of innovation and funding sources. With de-risking by donors and better collaboration across the public-private divide, existing financial flows and new forms of patient capital can be steered toward climate-resilient innovation in Africa’s smallholder agricultural systems.