There was a time when world leaders and climate activists mostly spoke about climate change within the framework of mitigating its impacts by taking actions such as reducing fossil fuel consumption and the flow of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses.

Little was said about how to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. Data is consistently showing us that climate change will most heavily affect the global south through extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, and flooding.

Nevertheless, there is room for optimism. Devex Senior Reporter Stephanie Beasley sat down with Enock Chikava, who leads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s agricultural development program, for the fifth episode of Devex’s Climate + podcast to find out about the initiatives the philanthropic organization is supporting to help the agricultural sector in the global south adapt to a changing climate.

In addition to providing insights on the work being done already — such as the breeding of chickens that thrive in tropical conditions, as well as the development of an artificial intelligence-powered platform to match local crops with consumer needs — Chikava also stressed the importance of involving women in decision making and policymaking in agriculture and the need for climate finance to flow to those who need it most.

Despite the positive stories, Chikava believes it is critical for the world “to realize and understand that there is a climate injustice” to help make decisions at COP 28, the U.N. climate summit, that support agricultural stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries in the face of the climate crisis.

The Climate + podcast is supported by the World Bank. To learn more about efforts to end poverty on a livable planet, check out the link.

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