Senior leaders in agriculture now answer to ministers, boards and funders for outcomes that depend on a changing climate. Farming is both highly exposed to changing weather and a significant source of greenhouse gases, while also being the livelihood of most rural households in many African economies. Executives responsible for agricultural strategy, budgets or portfolios face pressure to deliver food security, jobs and exports while adapting to a changing climate and meeting national and investor expectations on emissions.

This executive programme concentrates on direction setting rather than technical field practice. Participants examine the climate-smart agriculture framework and the wider food systems lens, then review the evidence on practices and technologies, including their costs, adoption barriers and gender and social effects. Further sessions explore how to read climate risk information, prioritise adaptation options, access and structure climate and blended finance, engage private sector partners, and integrate agriculture into national climate commitments. Governance, policy coherence and institutional coordination are treated as central issues, as is the question of measuring results credibly.

Delivery combines expert briefings, peer exchange between senior leaders and structured decision exercises. Each participant develops a short strategy note for a programme, portfolio or policy that they lead.

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Explain the climate-smart agriculture framework and its link to wider food system outcomes.
• Interpret climate risk and vulnerability information to prioritise adaptation investments.
• Evaluate the trade-offs between productivity, emissions, livelihoods and nutrition in policy choices.
• Align agricultural programmes with national adaptation and mitigation commitments.
• Identify climate finance, blended finance and private investment routes for agricultural initiatives.
• Design partnership and coordination arrangements across ministries, private firms and farmers.
• Set monitoring indicators that show climate and food security results to boards and funders.

The programme is pitched at senior leaders who shape agricultural and food system direction, including:

• Principal secretaries, directors and county agriculture executives
• Heads of agribusiness and food companies
• Programme directors at development partners and NGOs
• Executives in agricultural banks, insurers and impact funds
• Leaders of farmer federations and cooperatives
• Research institute and university programme managers
• Climate and environment policy advisers

Participants leave with:

• A strategy note setting direction for a climate-smart programme or portfolio.
• A prioritisation matrix for adaptation and mitigation options.
• A map of finance and partnership routes suited to their organisation.
• A short results framework with climate and food security indicators.
• Talking points for briefing ministers, boards or investors.
• A network of peers working on similar policy challenges.

Designed for time-pressed leaders, the programme prioritises discussion and decision making. It features:

• Concise expert briefings on science, policy and finance
• Peer roundtables among senior agricultural and development leaders
• Decision exercises with limited budgets and competing priorities
• Country and county case examples from African food systems
• Individual coaching on each participant's strategy note

Executives who attend the programme and complete the decision exercises receive a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.