Project overview

R4 is WFP's flagship approach for integrated climate risk management which combines four risk-management elements to support smallholder farmers: risk retention, risk transfer, risk management and risk reduction (the 4 Rs).

The problem

Smallholder farmers are significantly impacted by climate change, which aggravates key structural challenges such as poor access to agricultural inputs, financial services, and assets. 

 

Petros Malunnga working in his field in Blantyre, Malawi. Photo: WFP/Badre Bahaji
Petros Malunga working in his field in Blantyre, Malawi. Photo: WFP/Badre Bahaji

 

The solution

R4 aims to support smallholder farmers in becoming more resilient to climate risks through a combination of four integrated objectives: 

1. Reducing the impact of climate shocks through nature-based solutions and improved agricultural practices, productive asset creation and climate information services; 

2. Transferring the risk of potentially catastrophic climate events to the private insurance market; 

3. Enabling better risk absorption of households and communities through the promotion of group savings and integration with social protection systems;

4. Promoting prudent risk-taking through financial education, livelihood diversification, and easier access to credit to enable better investments.

Francisca (81, wearing a colorful hearts t-shirt) selling her vegetables at the local market in the community of Plan de Jocote, Chiquimula department.
Francisca (wearing a colourful heart t-shirt) selling her vegetables at the local market in the community of Plan de Jocote, Chiquimula department. Photo: WFP/Giuilio d'Adamo

 

Reached 400,000 vulnerable farming households in 2021/22 agricultural seasons
400,000
Reaching 400,000 vulnerable farming households
Impacting 2 million people
2,000,000
Impacting 2 million people
Implemented in 14 countries
14
Implemented in 14 countries: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guatemala, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
USD 4.7 million in payouts in total
USD 4.7M
USD 4.7 million in payouts distributed in 2021
The way forward

R4’s approach is expanding to a new value chain in two new countries. The Cocoa Micro-Insurance project is increasing micro-insurance diversification using Area Yield Index Insurance for a new crop: cocoa. It is also expanding into two new countries: Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Cocoa plants. Photo: WFP/Kyle Hinkson
Cocoa plants. Photo: WFP/Kyle Hinkson

R4 aims to support approximately 1.4 million households (7.5 million people) with integrated climate risk management in 25 countries by 2025, with the added benefit of expanding access to these insurance products to a broader market beyond the R4 participant farmers.

Nasima Begum and her husband, Rofiqul Islam, having a lunch break at the bank of the Brahmaputra river. Photo: WFP/ Sayed Asif Mahmud
Nasima Begum and her husband, Rofiqul Islam, having a lunch break at the bank of the Brahmaputra River. Photo: WFP/ Sayed Asif Mahmud

 

Last updated: 07/11/2022