Kaduna, Nasarawa value chain market deepens with climate-smart agric initiative

In a major push to build climate resilience and market integration across Nigeria’s grain sector, AGRA, Nestlé Nigeria, and TechnoServe have unveiled a $1 million initiative—Strengthening Farmers’ and SMEs’ Resilience through Climate Smart Grain Production and Accessing the Structured Markets (StreFaS).

As reported by Arewa PUNCH, the three-year project (June 2024 – October 2027) will directly benefit 25,000 smallholder farmers and 8 aggregators in Kaduna and Nasarawa states, focusing on the sustainable production of maize, rice, soybean, and sorghum.

The StreFaS initiative will embed regenerative agriculture practices across the entire grain value chain while prioritizing the empowerment of women and youth.

The program’s goals include:

• Enhancing soil health and biodiversity
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Improving economic resilience and structured market access
• Connecting farmers to formal offtakers, including Nestlé Nigeria, for premium pricing on climate-smart grains

At the launch in Zaria, Kaduna State, stakeholders from government, private sector, and the development community reaffirmed their support for the initiative, which aligns with:

• AGRA’s 3.0 Country Strategy
• Nestlé’s global 2030 climate sourcing goals
• TechnoServe’s market-driven rural development approach

Key voices from the launch event include: Adesuwa Akinboro, TechnoServe Nigeria Country Director:
“STREFAS is not just about boosting yields – it’s about regenerating soils, restoring dignity to farming, and building inclusive futures.”

Dr. Rufus Idris, AGRA Nigeria Country Director: “We’re not just introducing practices—we’re rebuilding ecosystems that sustain farming.”

Wassim Elhusseini, CEO of Nestlé Nigeria: “This investment underscores Nestlé’s commitment to sustainable sourcing and decarbonizing the food value chain.”

Murtala Dabo, Kaduna State Agriculture Commissioner: “This marks a significant milestone in building climate-smart agriculture in Kaduna.”

Additionally, a farmer from the pilot project, Lawan Abdul, shared that applying regenerative methods had doubled his soybean yield—a promising result that reflects the transformative potential of climate-smart practices.
Source- Punch

Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
As Nigeria continues to confront the growing challenges of climate change, market volatility, and rural poverty, the StreFaS initiative presents a compelling blueprint for scalable, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural transformation. Below are key expert insights into the broader implications of this initiative for stakeholders across the agri-food ecosystem.

1. Climate-Smart Grain Value Chains: A National Imperative
The StreFaS initiative isn’t just another development project—it’s a model for scalable transformation. With Nigeria’s grain sector facing soil degradation, erratic rainfall, and market volatility, StreFaS provides a dual solution: environmental regeneration and economic access.

Implication: State governments and agribusinesses should mainstream regenerative practices as part of national grain productivity and resilience strategies. Integration into agriculture extension systems will be key.

2. Market Access as an Adoption Incentive

A major value-add of StreFaS is its linkage to structured buyers like Nestlé. This model moves away from isolated farmer training toward a demand-driven ecosystem, where climate-smart outputs attract premium prices and consistent markets.

Implication:
Private sector actors should replicate Nestlé’s model by incorporating climate performance indicators in procurement. Development financiers and aggregators must also support last-mile logistics and produce traceability.

3. Empowerment of Women and Youth: Unlocking Inclusion
StreFaS goes beyond productivity by empowering women and youth, historically underserved in agri-finance and extension systems. This inclusion is central to resilience and rural revitalization.

Implication:
Stakeholders must design specific gender-responsive tools, training, and credit lines. Youth engagement strategies should include digital tools for farm management, market intelligence, and climate adaptation.

4. Regeneration as a Business Case, Not Charity
Early field results—such as Lawan Abdul’s 100% yield increase—validate that regenerative agriculture can be profitable. This bridges the historical gap between environmental sustainability and commercial viability.

Implication:
Investors and input suppliers should treat regenerative models as bankable ventures, not charity. Bundling inputs, training, and market access within regenerative frameworks offers a return on investment.

5. Alignment with Global and National Priorities
StreFaS is nested within AGRA’s strategic framework, Nestlé’s 2030 climate goals, and Nigeria’s broader food systems transformation agenda. This alignment boosts potential for donor and policy support.

Implication:
Stakeholders should advocate for enabling policies like carbon farming incentives, land use reforms, and climate-smart subsidies to institutionalize regenerative agriculture.

Conclusion
StreFaS is not just a project—it’s a test case for the future of Nigerian agriculture. Its integrated model—climate-smart practices + structured markets + inclusive participation—offers a roadmap for durable change.

Agri-food stakeholders must seize this momentum to scale, replicate, and advocate for regenerative approaches that combine environmental health with economic opportunity.