| Project Detail |
Solar agri-technologies have the potential to make smallholder based agri-food systems in South Asia and East Africa more socially just and responsive to climate change. To enable scaling of these technologies, SoLAR phase 2 will deliver tools and models to support policy making, leverage Swiss know-how to propose innovative financing mechanisms, and strengthen science, policy and practice collaboration for water-energy-food nexus gains. With 500,000 installations in the last decade, solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) are curtailing the carbon footprint of agri-food systems across South Asia. Assured irrigation also enhances farmer resilience and food security. But the uptake of SIPs is truncated by systemic challenges: prohibitive costs impede inclusive access; and potential to trigger negative water-energy-food (WEF) nexus loops, such as over-extraction of groundwater. Further, there is a lack of experience in bundling SIPs with solar agri-technologies like cold storages, dryers, grinders, agri-voltaics, to strengthen the agri-food systems and enhance financial viability of solar deployment. In East Africa, adoption of solar agri-tech, including SIPs, is in a nascent stage. SoLAR aims to contribute to “just energy transition” by unlocking policies and investment, testing WEF positive solar agri-tech bundles and facilitating South-South exchange. Objectives To strengthen the enabling environment and unlock investments for the promotion of socially inclusive solar energy systems for agriculture to support government efforts to combat climate change and strengthen the agri-food systems in South Asia (Bangladesh and India) and East Africa (Ethiopia and Kenya). |
