Food systems sit at the centre of the climate challenge. Changing seasons, shorter planting windows, new pest ranges and volatile input and commodity prices expose producers and everyone who depends on them. Institutions that finance, insure or support agriculture need a systematic way to understand where losses come from and what can be done about them before the season begins.

This programme introduces a complete risk management cycle adapted to climate-smart agriculture. Participants learn to establish context and objectives, identify hazards and vulnerabilities along a value chain, analyse likelihood and consequence and evaluate which risks justify action. The course then reviews the options available: agronomic and farm-level practices, water and soil management, post-harvest handling, market and contract arrangements, financial instruments and community-level arrangements. Monitoring and learning, including the use of seasonal forecasts and simple indicators, complete the cycle.

Teaching relies on field-based scenarios, mapping exercises and short cases from maize, dairy, horticulture and pastoral systems. Participants build a risk register and response plan for a system they know well, so that they can begin applying the approach in their own programmes immediately.

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

• Describe the main climate, biological, market and institutional risks facing agriculture and food systems.
• Carry out hazard, exposure and vulnerability assessments at farm, community and value chain level.
• Rate and prioritise risks using likelihood and impact matrices.
• Select climate-smart practices that reduce risk while protecting productivity.
• Evaluate risk transfer tools such as index insurance, contracts and warehouse receipts.
• Build early warning and monitoring routines using climate and market information.
• Prepare a costed risk management and resilience plan for a farm, cooperative or programme.

The course is intended for people who plan, support, finance or insure agricultural activity, including:

• Agricultural extension officers and county agriculture staff
• Agribusiness and food processing managers
• Cooperative and farmer organisation leaders
• Agricultural lenders, microfinance and SACCO officers
• Crop and livestock insurance professionals
• Climate adaptation and resilience programme officers in NGOs
• Food security and humanitarian programme staff
• Researchers and policy officers in ministries of agriculture and environment

Participants leave with:

• A completed risk register for a chosen farm, enterprise or value chain.
• A hazard and vulnerability map prepared with simple participatory tools.
• A shortlist of climate-smart practices matched to specific risks and costs.
• A comparison of insurance and contract options and when each suits.
• A seasonal monitoring calendar that links forecasts to farm decisions.
• A resilience action plan ready to discuss with colleagues, partners or funders.

The course is field-oriented and participatory. It draws on:

• Scenario-based exercises set in maize, horticulture, dairy and pastoral systems
• Participatory mapping tools that delegates can reuse with communities
• Short cases of resilience programmes and what they learned
• Group work to build, score and challenge a risk register
• Facilitated peer exchange between public, private and NGO participants

Participants who attend all five days and complete the risk register and resilience plan exercises are issued with a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.