Food systems face a double demand: produce more for growing populations while adapting to a changing climate and reducing emissions. Smallholders, agribusinesses and governments all make decisions under that pressure, often with limited evidence on which practices pay off locally. Strategies that ignore climate risk, or that promote a technology without a plan for adoption and finance, tend to stall after the pilot stage.

This programme gives senior practitioners a framework to move from analysis to action. It begins with climate risk and vulnerability assessment across crops, livestock, fisheries and the supply chains around them. Participants then evaluate adaptation and mitigation options, learn how innovation systems function, and design pilots with hypotheses, indicators and decision rules for scaling or stopping. The later part of the course examines policy alignment, extension and digital delivery models, partnerships, and the financing instruments that can carry successful models to scale.

Teaching uses strategy workshops, regional case studies and structured peer challenge. Participants build a prioritised strategy outline, a pilot design and a funding pitch tailored to their institution and context.

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

• Assess climate risk and vulnerability for crops, livestock and value chains in a given area.
• Prioritise climate-smart practices and technologies using cost, benefit, risk and adoption criteria.
• Design innovation pilots with testable hypotheses, indicators and scale-up triggers.
• Analyse the agricultural innovation system and identify partners for research, extension and markets.
• Align institutional strategy with national climate and agriculture policies.
• Identify and structure climate finance, blended finance and carbon market options.
• Build a business case that persuades boards, ministries and funders.

The course targets decision makers and advisers in food and agriculture, including:

• Ministry and county agriculture directors and planners
• Agribusiness executives and sustainability managers
• Programme directors in NGOs and development agencies
• Cooperative, union and farmer organisation leaders
• Agricultural research and extension managers
• Development bank and climate fund officers
• Agri-finance and insurance product managers
• Policy analysts and consultants working on food systems

Participants complete the course with:

• A climate risk profile for their value chain or territory.
• A scored shortlist of climate-smart options with reasoning.
• A pilot design including indicators, budget and learning questions.
• A scaling pathway that names partners, policies and finance.
• A funding pitch outline fitted to a chosen climate or development fund.
• A clear strategy statement they can discuss with leadership.

The programme is organised as a strategy workshop for senior participants. It uses:

• Regional case studies from East and Southern African food systems
• Structured option-scoring exercises with group debate
• Pilot design clinics with facilitator feedback
• Role play of a funder panel on the closing day
• Peer challenge sessions on each participant's strategy outline

Attendance and satisfactory completion of the workshops and final pitch earn a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.