TomorrowNow has announced the acquisition of an additional $5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to expand its flagship program, Osiris. The primary objective of this funding is to promote advanced weather and climate data services across Africa.
In 2021, TomorrowNow, in collaboration with its partners, secured a $2 million grant from the Gates Foundation to assist one million African farmers in adapting to climate change. This initiative highlighted the critical importance of improved access to localized weather information in the food system and emphasized the significance of data quality and precision.
With the additional funding over the next three years, TomorrowNow aims to impact 20 million smallholder farmers by providing value-added weather intelligence services across the African continent. The beneficiaries include research organizations, NGOs, multilateral organizations, private service providers, farmer cooperatives, and government agencies working on Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs).
Philip Frost, the Climate Resilience Lead at TomorrowNow, expressed enthusiasm for the Gates Foundation’s recognition of the pivotal role weather and climate data services play in addressing climate change and fostering local prosperity.
The Osiris project, spearheaded by TomorrowNow, utilizes improved historical datasets, observations, and short-term and seasonal weather forecasts from global technology companies like Tomorrow.io, Salient Predictions, and Arable. The project collaborates closely with local government entities and private or non-governmental partners to bring about significant transformations in agricultural practices within the region.
Moreover, the Osiris project aims to make next-generation weather and climate information accessible to frontline organizations supporting farmers and scientists working on innovations for the food system. This enhanced accessibility will contribute to climate-resilient seed breeding through improved crop simulation and the adoption of regenerative farming practices.
Kauê de Sousa from Alliance Bioversity-CIAT (CGIAR) highlighted the positive impact of the Osiris project on CGIAR, providing comprehensive and localized historical reanalysis datasets for East Africa. This data has significantly improved seed breeding analytics, refining methodologies, and enhancing precision in the region.
The initiative emphasizes the vital role African local farming communities play in shaping next-generation food systems. By facilitating access to weather intelligence for frontline organizations and research institutions, supported by philanthropy, these systems aim to be sustainable, increase crop productivity, and ensure a more reliable future for all.
Source: Africa News Space