Latest news with #LDCF
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
USD 8.9 Million Approved For Climate-Resilient Agriculture In Solomon Islands
Press Release – FAO Resilient Rural Economic Growth and Food Security project aims to transform how food is grown, accessed, and sustained in the Solomons promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing national policies, strengthening local governance, improving … Bangkok, 10 June 2025 – The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) has approved USD 8.9 million in grant funding for an FAO-led initiative to strengthen food security and climate resilience in the Solomon Islands. With rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and a large rural population dependent on agriculture and fisheries for livelihoods and food, the Solomon Islands is among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations. Bolstered by over USD 29 million in co-financing, the Resilient Rural Economic Growth and Food Security project aims to transform how food is grown, accessed, and sustained in the Solomons – promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing national policies, strengthening local governance, and improving availability and access to climate information. GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez said that the project was a powerful example of how locally led action can turn environmental challenges into opportunities for transformation. 'By combining scientific knowledge with traditional practices and anticipating future environmental risks, this collaboration with the Government of Solomon Islands will equip communities to adapt not only their crops and coastlines, but their entire way of life,' Rodríguez said. 'This is adaptation action that is inclusive, anticipatory, and deeply rooted in local leadership.' The project will improve the management of more than 36 000 hectares of land and coastal areas for climate resilience, train more than 60 000 people, and directly benefit more than 75 000 people. The project targets five provinces – Malaita, Guadalcanal, Choiseul, Temotu, and Rennel/Bellona – that underpin national food security, face heightened climate change hazards, and hold high potential as models for scalable, community-led adaptation. Malaita and Guadalcanal provinces are key agricultural hubs with high exposure to climate-induced crop losses. Choiseul, Temotu, and Rennell/Bellona are remote provinces with limited market access and infrastructure, where communities are highly dependent on natural resources and traditional food systems. Working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, this project will integrate climate adaptation into national and local food systems policies and create a 'one-stop shop' for climate information, advisory services, innovative practices, and mechanisms to attract public and private investment. In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, the project will enhance community-level planning and conflict management capacities. It also seeks to safeguard traditional knowledge and governance systems, ensuring that adaptation measures are socially inclusive and culturally appropriate. The project will also promote diversified livelihoods and train farmers to interpret and apply climate information in their agricultural practices. The project aims to scale out these innovations across the Solomon Islands through strengthened research institutions and dissemination of best practices. By integrating climate resilience into the Solomon Island's agrifood system from national policy to on-farm practices, the project will support rural livelihoods, improve food security, and promote sustainable income opportunities. Managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the LDCF is the only global fund dedicated to helping Least Developed Countries adapt to climate change. It supports locally led solutions across agriculture, water, health, infrastructure, and more – strengthening systems, scaling finance, and building resilience where it's needed most. The LDCF has delivered more than $2.35 billion in grants to date – supporting the transition from incremental to transformational adaptation across 51 countries.
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
USD 8.9 Million Approved For Climate-Resilient Agriculture In Solomon Islands
Press Release – FAO Resilient Rural Economic Growth and Food Security project aims to transform how food is grown, accessed, and sustained in the Solomons promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing national policies, strengthening local governance, improving … Bangkok, 10 June 2025 – The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) has approved USD 8.9 million in grant funding for an FAO-led initiative to strengthen food security and climate resilience in the Solomon Islands. With rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and a large rural population dependent on agriculture and fisheries for livelihoods and food, the Solomon Islands is among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations. Bolstered by over USD 29 million in co-financing, the Resilient Rural Economic Growth and Food Security project aims to transform how food is grown, accessed, and sustained in the Solomons – promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing national policies, strengthening local governance, and improving availability and access to climate information. GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez said that the project was a powerful example of how locally led action can turn environmental challenges into opportunities for transformation. 'By combining scientific knowledge with traditional practices and anticipating future environmental risks, this collaboration with the Government of Solomon Islands will equip communities to adapt not only their crops and coastlines, but their entire way of life,' Rodríguez said. 'This is adaptation action that is inclusive, anticipatory, and deeply rooted in local leadership.' The project will improve the management of more than 36 000 hectares of land and coastal areas for climate resilience, train more than 60 000 people, and directly benefit more than 75 000 people. The project targets five provinces – Malaita, Guadalcanal, Choiseul, Temotu, and Rennel/Bellona – that underpin national food security, face heightened climate change hazards, and hold high potential as models for scalable, community-led adaptation. Malaita and Guadalcanal provinces are key agricultural hubs with high exposure to climate-induced crop losses. Choiseul, Temotu, and Rennell/Bellona are remote provinces with limited market access and infrastructure, where communities are highly dependent on natural resources and traditional food systems. Working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, this project will integrate climate adaptation into national and local food systems policies and create a 'one-stop shop' for climate information, advisory services, innovative practices, and mechanisms to attract public and private investment. In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, the project will enhance community-level planning and conflict management capacities. It also seeks to safeguard traditional knowledge and governance systems, ensuring that adaptation measures are socially inclusive and culturally appropriate. The project will also promote diversified livelihoods and train farmers to interpret and apply climate information in their agricultural practices. The project aims to scale out these innovations across the Solomon Islands through strengthened research institutions and dissemination of best practices. By integrating climate resilience into the Solomon Island's agrifood system from national policy to on-farm practices, the project will support rural livelihoods, improve food security, and promote sustainable income opportunities. Managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the LDCF is the only global fund dedicated to helping Least Developed Countries adapt to climate change. It supports locally led solutions across agriculture, water, health, infrastructure, and more – strengthening systems, scaling finance, and building resilience where it's needed most. The LDCF has delivered more than $2.35 billion in grants to date – supporting the transition from incremental to transformational adaptation across 51 countries.
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
USD 8.9 Million Approved For Climate-Resilient Agriculture In Solomon Islands
Bangkok, 10 June 2025 – The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) has approved USD 8.9 million in grant funding for an FAO-led initiative to strengthen food security and climate resilience in the Solomon Islands. With rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and a large rural population dependent on agriculture and fisheries for livelihoods and food, the Solomon Islands is among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations. Bolstered by over USD 29 million in co-financing, the Resilient Rural Economic Growth and Food Security project aims to transform how food is grown, accessed, and sustained in the Solomons – promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing national policies, strengthening local governance, and improving availability and access to climate information. GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez said that the project was a powerful example of how locally led action can turn environmental challenges into opportunities for transformation. 'By combining scientific knowledge with traditional practices and anticipating future environmental risks, this collaboration with the Government of Solomon Islands will equip communities to adapt not only their crops and coastlines, but their entire way of life,' Rodríguez said. 'This is adaptation action that is inclusive, anticipatory, and deeply rooted in local leadership.' The project will improve the management of more than 36 000 hectares of land and coastal areas for climate resilience, train more than 60 000 people, and directly benefit more than 75 000 people. The project targets five provinces – Malaita, Guadalcanal, Choiseul, Temotu, and Rennel/Bellona – that underpin national food security, face heightened climate change hazards, and hold high potential as models for scalable, community-led adaptation. Malaita and Guadalcanal provinces are key agricultural hubs with high exposure to climate-induced crop losses. Choiseul, Temotu, and Rennell/Bellona are remote provinces with limited market access and infrastructure, where communities are highly dependent on natural resources and traditional food systems. Working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, this project will integrate climate adaptation into national and local food systems policies and create a 'one-stop shop' for climate information, advisory services, innovative practices, and mechanisms to attract public and private investment. In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, the project will enhance community-level planning and conflict management capacities. It also seeks to safeguard traditional knowledge and governance systems, ensuring that adaptation measures are socially inclusive and culturally appropriate. The project will also promote diversified livelihoods and train farmers to interpret and apply climate information in their agricultural practices. The project aims to scale out these innovations across the Solomon Islands through strengthened research institutions and dissemination of best practices. By integrating climate resilience into the Solomon Island's agrifood system from national policy to on-farm practices, the project will support rural livelihoods, improve food security, and promote sustainable income opportunities. Managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the LDCF is the only global fund dedicated to helping Least Developed Countries adapt to climate change. It supports locally led solutions across agriculture, water, health, infrastructure, and more – strengthening systems, scaling finance, and building resilience where it's needed most. The LDCF has delivered more than $2.35 billion in grants to date – supporting the transition from incremental to transformational adaptation across 51 countries.
Telegraph
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Do not discriminate against gender-critical women, Lib Dems told
The Liberal Democrats have been told to stop discriminating against gender-critical women by their chief executive. Mike Dixon has written to constituency chairs across the country to remind them of equality laws after the party lost a number of legal battles with their members. He warned that associations cannot 'discriminate on the basis of someone's protected beliefs' even if they 'disagree with them or find their views offensive'. In response, the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum (LDCF) noted: 'It is a sad indictment of the democratic health of the Liberal Democrats that party HQ has to remind activists to be Liberal.' Mr Dixon's warning comes after the party was forced to pay £14,000 to Natalie Bird, who was removed as a prospective parliamentary candidate for Wakefield after she wore a T-shirt with the slogan: 'Woman: Adult Human Female'. Last month, in the face of lengthy legal action they also backed down and agreed to lift a ban which had prevented Liberal Voice for Women, women's rights campaigners who believe in biological sex, from holding events. 'Be constructive, polite, play the ball not the person' In the email, seen by The Telegraph, Mr Dixon said: 'There have been a number of legal judgements recently in cases involving political parties and other relevant organisations concerning discrimination on the basis of protected beliefs, in particular gender critical beliefs. 'The costs of these for local and national parties can be very significant.' He said that he wanted to give chairs 'some broad principles that will help you avoid legal action'. Reminding members of guidance by the equalities watchdog, he added: 'The short version is that you need to treat members with protected gender-critical beliefs in the same way as any other member.' Mr Dixon said that the 'basic rules of thumb' which should protect the local party and members from legal challenge included 'be constructive, polite, play the ball not the person, and be measured in any criticism'. He noted that online they 'cannot exclude someone from a party group or remove posts solely because of their protected beliefs' even if they are seen as offensive. 'There is real danger of political parties continuing to be taken to court about these issues unless we get the response right,' he added. 'We would all prefer to spend money on campaigning and winning seats than defending legal cases.' The party is still facing legal action from David Campanale, a former BBC journalist, who is suing for breaches of the equality act claiming that he was deselected as a prospective MP over his Christian beliefs. As part of the case the party has been accused of creating a 'hostile environment' for people of faith and failing to investigate serious allegations of discrimination and harassment. 'Braver, more inclusive instincts should have prevailed' In response to Mr Dixon's warnings, the LCDF called for the party to apologise to Mr Campanale for the delays and the 'apparent tolerance of secular bigotry' and to hold a 'fair and independent investigation' into his complaints of equality breaches. 'Our hope now is that the party would end the run of expensive court cases by admitting it has got this one wrong,' the letter added. Commenting on behalf of the LDCF executive, Cllr John Pugh, the former Liberal Democrat MP for Southport, added: 'Happily we are not dealing with a widespread problem. 'However, it is neither credible nor consistent for the party to warn associated bodies against breaking the law while weakly adopting a 'head in the sand attitude' in David Campanale's case and adding pointlessly to its own mounting litigation costs. The better, braver, more inclusive instincts of the party should have prevailed.' A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: 'We are proud to be a liberal party where our members have a range of views on all sorts of issues, but come together to discuss them in a friendly and constructive way. 'Liberal Democrats are committed to respecting and defending the rights of all people, and to combating all forms of prejudice and discrimination. Our party policy is clear on these issues.'
