This past October, Andrew Mude of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) received the World Food Prize International Symposium’s top honor — the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application — for his work on developing livestock index insurance in the lowlands of East Africa.

Mude’s award highlights the crucial role innovative financial solutions play in protecting cattle farming against climate disruptions, which pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of African herders and consumers. Financial instruments, such as index insurance schemes, serve as shock absorbers for the vulnerable in building resilience and adaptation to climate, according to the ‘Anticipate, Absorb, Reshape’ (A2R) initiative unveiled at COP21 last year.

Food security and resilience-building have become central in the international development community’s efforts to help developing countries and vulnerable populations manage climate change. Read more