GDC Sacco and ADAPTA launch climate finance and sustainability facility for dairy farmers in Kiambu

Dairy cattle at a farm in Githunguri, Kiambu County.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

GDC Sacco Ltd and ADAPTA.EARTH, a climate adaptation fintech based in Nairobi and focused on the agriculture sector, have partnered to launch a climate finance and sustainability product for over 28,000 dairy farmers in Githunguri, Kiambu County.

While signing the agreement with ADAPTA, the GDC Sacco Board Chairman, Joseph Gitau, said that ADAPTA’s innovative climate resilience programme prioritised improving incomes and the livelihoods of Sacco members.

ADAPTA CEO, German Vegarra, lauded GDC Sacco for the partnership, calling the move a decisive step in the right direction. He launched the training for the first farmer cohort in Githunguri, in January.

Bankers and lenders using the ADAPTA climate finance mechanism appreciate the effectiveness of the ADAPTA Climate and Sustainability Scoring Tool in adopting climate adaptation measures that help to reduce agricultural loan portfolio default risk and production losses.

ADAPTA’s COO, Madleine Mwithiga, said the partnership would lead the way for other Saccos and financial institutions across the country to adopt new approaches to climate finance. She added that the devastated livestock systems in arid and semi-arid (ASALs) regions, and participation in top agricultural value chains like tea, maize, potatoes, pork, grass fodder, and horticulture, were a key focus for adaptation intervention within ADAPTA’s country-wide programmes.

Speaking during the launch in November 2022, GDC Sacco CEO Charles Kioko, said dairy farmers in Kiambu, faced with the challenges of increasing temperatures that lead to animal heat stress and the rising animal feed costs, would benefit from interventions for improvements in waste management to reduce the sector’s impact on the environment, cow comfort in sheds, water harvesting, fodder feeds, etc. “Sustainability is at the heart of our new business strategy with ADAPTA,” he added.

The GDC Sacco-ADAPTA long-term partnership seeks to support at least 7,000 dairy farmers in the first five years.

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