29.02.2024

April and May 2024 marked a significant stride towards combating climate change as FAO successfully conducted a series of training sessions online on the EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool (EX-ACT) across four regions.  

Based on feedback from the Hand in Hand (HIH) Investment fora in 2022 and 2023, and recognizing the need for enhanced human capacity development, HIH is supporting member governments to better focus on climate-smart agrifood investments. As part of this effort, the training aimed to empower agricultural experts globally with a cutting-edge tool designed to estimate and monitor the impact of agrifood investments on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reductions. 

By facilitating the identification and implementation of low-carbon strategies in the agricultural sector, EX-ACT plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable practices and mitigating climate change effects. Developed in alignment with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodologies for GHG inventories, EX-ACT offers comprehensive coverage across various agricultural domains including Agriculture, Forestry, Other Land Use (AFOLU), as well as inland and coastal wetlands, fisheries, aquaculture, and related infrastructures. 

Led by the EX-ACT team from FAO’s Economic and Policy Analysis of Climate Change (EPIC) program, the training was tailored to support the development of investments plans under the Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Initiative, with a focus on strengthening the capacities of national governments and internal FAO divisions. 

The course was delivered in English, Spanish and French and attracted a diverse group of 120 registrants. These included government officers and technical experts, Geographic Information System (GIS) specialists, project coordinators, monitoring and evaluation specialists, research scientists and agricultural economists from 35 HIH member countries. Among the regiones represented were Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. 

During four sessions of three hours each, the attendees delved into the latest version of the FAO public tool, EX-ACT v.9.4, exploring both theoretical aspects and hands-on applications relevant to HIH investment cases. 

Following the training, feedback from participants has been highly positive, underscoring its value in equipping professionals with essential skills.  

Tolessa Benti Guta, a Senior Monitoring, Report and Verification Expert from Ethiopia´s Ministry of Agriculture shared his enthusiasm, stating “The EX-ACT tool training was very helpful. It provided me with a crucial skill to quantify greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sectors. This will greatly benefit my work in the Ministry of Agriculture's AFOLU sector, Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Mitigation Report at the federal level for Ethiopia¨.  

Roy Machoko, Agrifood Systems Investment Policy Support Specialist at FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa also said, “This newfound ability will significantly improve my ability to design and coordinate projects that minimize their environmental impact under the Regional Hand-in-Hand Initiative for Southern Africa.” 

This initiative showcases FAO’s focus on promoting sustainable agrifood investments. With more nations showing interest in EX-ACT, additional training sessions are on the horizon, promising to further optimize agricultural interventions and reduce carbon footprints worldwide.