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Small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) need to adopt and consistently practice sustainable agriculture to ensure sustainable livelihoods and food security. However, the adverse effects of climate change are threatening the achievement of this goal. Therefore, farmers within the sub-region need to embrace climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as a means for climate change adaptation and mitigation. This study was conducted to understand, on the one hand, how smart farming technologies are being promoted in sub-Saharan Africa, and on the other hand, how farmers are adopting the prevailing technologies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) procedures were followed to identify 48 scientific papers in sub-Saharan Africa. It was found that promoters of smart farming technologies in sub-Saharan Africa include CGSpace, FAO, National Research Institutions, individual researchers, local institutions, and private institutions. The approach to the smart farming technology discourse in sub-Saharan Africa starts by building on efforts to sustain CSA practices with a gradual shift towards the fourth agriculture revolution innovations. Even where there are efforts to push beyond conventional CSA practices by the private sector, farmers' responses are still low. It is recommended that any intervention to promote modern smart farming technologies to smallholders should build on conventional CSA practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major limiting factor affecting the uptake of conservation agriculture practices in smallholder farming systems in sub‐Saharan Africa is the limited availability of sufficient crop residues for use as surface mulch. This paper assesses the trade‐offs in crop residue utilization among smallholder farmers and its implications for soil management in the face of climate change risks in northern Ghana. The paper triangulated data from 350 household surveys with participatory key informant interviews from seven selected communities in three districts of northern Ghana. The problem confrontation index (PCI) was adopted to identify and rank the challenges associated with farmers' decision to use crop residues, while a multivariate probit model was used to analyse and predict the factors that influence farmers' choice of crop residue management practices. Results showed that crop residues were used as cooking fuel in households (21%), livestock feed (21%), left on the farm to decompose as mulch (34%) or burned to clear the land (24%). Key challenges identified included high labour cost (PCI = 404), high labour intensity (PCI = 388), the cost and transport for collection and storage of externally sourced crop residue (PCI = 383) and the low benefit from crop residue to farm output/soil fertility (PCI = 339). Results from the multivariate probit model revealed that household and farm variables, institutional and socio‐psychological factors, and experience of some climate shocks all influence farmers' choice of crop residue management practices. Crop residue use and management practices adopted were determined by factors including the crops being grown, challenges faced by farmers and the management options available. The study recommends the need for the Government of Ghana to empower farmers through the provision of technical knowledge and machinery for the sustainable utilization of crop residues due to the high labour intensity and cost associated with such practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFeminist research maintains that livelihood activities are socially differentiated. While gendered unevenness in livelihood opportunities may condition the agricultural adaptive capacities of male-headed households (MHHs) and female-headed households (FHHs) to climate change, the gendered dimensions of livelihood activities have not been addressed in much of the climate-smart agriculture practices (CSAPs) adoption literature. This paper expands feminist livelihood research by analysing gendered dimensions of livelihood activities and their relation to the adoption and intensity of the use of CSAPs. The analysis draws on a nationally representative Living Standards Measurement Survey - Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) panel dataset from Nigeria. The research findings show that a significantly higher percentage of FHHs (51%) are involved in on-farm activities compared to their MHHs (38%) counterparts (p < 0.01). The results further show that gendered household headship (HH) is significantly associated with the adoption of CSAPs. Moreover, based on a feminist approach to livelihoods, we find that livelihood diversification moderates the relationship between gendered HH and CSAP adoption intensity. This suggests that FHHs with more livelihood opportunities have a greater probability of adopting a greater number of CSAPs than MHHs. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for the promotion of CSAPs and sheds light on how the Nigerian government can formulate gender-sensitive policies to promote the adoption of CSAPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adoption of improved livestock breeds requires, as with other climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices, upfront investments, which might be a significant barrier for smallholders. For this reason, the climate-smart village (CSV) approach not only includes CSA interventions, but also interventions to improve access to savings and credit among smallholders by means of a community-based approach. In this paper we study smallholders in CSVs in Kenya who were encouraged, among others, to adopt improved livestock breeds for crossbreeding with indigenous breeds to improve their resilience to climate change and variability. The farmers were also encouraged to become part of savings and credit groups to improve smallholder access to finance. The objective of this paper is thus to determine the (distributional) impact of CSVs on access to savings and credit and the adoption of improved CSA practices. Due to the as good as random selection of CSVs, we are able to estimate the treatment effects on the treated for the smallholders who decided to participate in the CSA intervention by means of a linear probability model. The analysis is based on a balanced panel of 118 farm households interviewed in 2017, 2019, and 2020. The main findings of this study are that the CSV intervention increased the adoption of improved livestock breeds. It also stimulated the membership of savings and credit groups which in turn stimulated the adoption of improved livestock breeds. These findings point to the importance of community-based savings and loan initiatives to mobilize finance among farmers enabling them to invest in CSA practices. Also, the introduction of improved breeds in CSVs has benefited especially the larger livestock owners. However, the availability of credit is found to have mitigated the concentration of improved livestock ownership since the diffusion of improved livestock in CSVs was somewhat more equitable than the (spontaneous) spill-over diffusion in the non-CSVs (reducing the Gini by 0.04). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is currently facing major challenges related to ensuring the food security of a rising population and climate change with extreme weather patterns. At the same time, agriculture is a cause of environmental degradation, pollution and biodiversity loss. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is proposed as an approach that provides a roadmap to sustainable agricultural development. Despite this, farmer adoption rates of CSA practices and technologies in Europe remain low. This paper seeks to systematically review and synthesize the factors that facilitate or hinder farmers' uptake of CSA in Europe. Out of the 2827 articles identified in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, a total of 137 research articles were included for analysis following the PRISMA methodology. The factors are categorized into seven categories, namely socio-demographics, psychological, farm characteristics, practice/technology-related attributes, biotic/abiotic, systemic and policy factors, with the majority of the studies focusing on the first four categories, while systemic and policy factors are relatively understudied. The results highlight for the first time that the adoption of CSA does not depend solely on farmer characteristics but also on the food systems and structures in which farmers operate, as well as the interactions with other value chain actors. To promote the adoption of CSA practices, extension and advisory services along with access to timely and reliable information, play a vital role in increasing awareness and in the provision of training and the encouragement of farmers' behavioral shifts towards sustainable practices. From a technological point of view, adapting technologies to be easy to use, compatible with current farming objectives and cost-efficient will render them less risky investments for farmers and will foster adoption rates. Finally, support from the government in terms of financial support, subsidies and reduced bureaucratic procedures is crucial for motivating CSA adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the extent to which the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in selected areas of Windhoek, Namibia, is impacting five variables, namely (a) productivity of urban farmers, (b) boosting food security, (c) resilience or adaptation of urban farmers, (d) agricultural income for urban farmers, and (e) agricultural sustainability. The paper makes use of primary data gathered through interviews with twenty (20) urban farmers in the five Windhoek suburbs of Katutura, Otjomuise, Khomasdal, Okahandja Park, and Havana. The CSA concept provides conceptual frames and lenses for analysis. The study finds out that while various CSA practices adopted by urban farmers in the targeted areas are assisting to boost the productivity and agricultural income of urban farmers, food security,resilience, and adaptation to climate change effects, urban farmers in Windhoek continue to face serious technical, financial, operational, and logistical challenges that are all collectively impacting negatively on their potentialities and capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change significantly impacts global agricultural productivity. Therefore, a more dynamic farming system is needed to enable farmers to better adapt to climate change while contributing to efforts to produce enough food to feed the growing world population. In the context of climate change, this study analyzed the empirical scientific literature on the link between climate-smart agriculture and farm productivity. To evaluate the relevant articles, the authors used the search term "climate-smart agriculture amidst climate change to enhance agricultural production (CSA-CCAP)" to find studies published between 2009 and March 2022 using innovative bibliometric techniques. One hundred and sixteen published papers in BibTeX format were downloaded for further analysis. The most successful selected CSA approaches in Africa, such as in the Congo Basin forest, including sustainable land management practices, water-efficient maize hybrids, and others, aim to counteract climate change with signs of 200 percent output gains. The findings showed an annual growth rate of about 19%, demonstrating that research on CSA-CCAP expanded over time during the study period. Nonetheless, the research output on CSA-CCAP varied, with 2021 accounting for 30%, followed by 2020 with 16% as of March 2022. The study concluded that boosting agricultural productivity in the face of climate change may be accomplished through CSA to end hunger, eradicate poverty, and improve people's well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviewed a body of literature on climate adaptation options in sub‐Saharan Africa's (SSA) smallholding agriculture and complemented it with a case study involving experts interviews, focus group discussions, large‐scale household surveys, and farmer practices observation while drawing insight from the concept of "everyday adaptation and interrupted agency" and agency theory to assess farmer perceived limitations with climate‐smart agriculture (CSA) and climate‐wise food systems (CWFS) practices for climate adaptation in the SSA. The study noted that the narrow focus on CSA and/or CWFS as a silver bullet for climate change adaptation suitable for smallholding agriculture ignores food producers' agency to undermine sustainable and inclusive adaptation solutions. Moreover, smallholder farmers' everyday climate adaptation practices could be grouped into three categories; on‐farm adaptation, off‐farm adaptation, and Indigenous agroecological adaptation options. The on‐farm adaptation options are usually agriculture intensification and extensification. The off‐farm adaptation options include livelihood diversification activities, petty trading, seasonal labor jobs, and migration. The Indigenous agroecological adaptation strategy uses observing nature and weather elements to predict the onset of the rainy season. The study noted that smallholders' adaptation options, which is an expression of their agency, are motivated by smallholders' desire to be resilient to changing climate, increase productivity and income, and social network influence but not necessarily because the strategy is being promoted by the government or Non‐Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Therefore, we propose a sustainable food agency (SFA)—a multifaceted blended constellation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, as the best approach to addressing the climate crises in the SSA. The SFA allows individuals or groups to decide what climate change adaptation options best work for them to adapt to changing climate and produce and distribute their food without undermining the economic, social, and environmental bases that generate food security and nutrition for present and future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is increasingly affecting agriculture worldwide, causing yield losses and undermining food security. Behind the international consensus on the urgent need for ambitious policies to adapt agriculture to climate change (AACC) hides a competition between three agricultural models—agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, and conventional agriculture—each carrying distinctive perspective on how agriculture should adapt to climate change. To date, no study has shown which of these three agricultural models is promoted the most by climate change adaptation policies. To shed light on this question, we undertook semi-structured surveys with resource persons, a literature review and a multi-criteria analysis, identifying and characterizing 226 AACC policy initiatives in seven countries or regions in the north (Andalusia, Occitanie, California, Guadeloupe) and the south (Colombia, South Africa, Senegal). Our aim was to identify (1) concrete strategic options mobilized by policy initiatives to adapt agriculture to climate change and (2) agricultural models that are implicitly or explicitly promoted by these policy initiatives. We identified 14 climate change adaptation options that mobilize a set of three complementary levers of action: (i) transforming production systems or enabling access to productive resources, (ii) providing access to knowledge that is useful for AACC, and (iii) coordinating and financing adaptation actions at territorial or sector scale. Agroecology and climate-smart agriculture are the two agricultural models favored in the mix of policy initiatives in all the studied sites. Despite conceptual differences, in real-life situations, these models do not conflict with each other since they are often promoted concomitantly. AACC policy initiatives, although diversified, seem too fragmented and not sufficiently restrictive to bring about rapid and profound change. This paper presents a new classification of AACC adaptation options, and is the first to reveal which agricultural models are promoted by policy initiatives in a wide range of regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine whether there are significant gender differences in the adoption of climate‐smart agricultural (CSA) practices in sub‐Saharan Africa. Using individual‐level data from four sites in Kenya, Uganda and Senegal, our empirical analysis provides robust evidence that men have a higher likelihood of adopting high‐return CSA practices including modern chemical fertiliser, improved high‐yielding varieties and drought/pest tolerant livestock practices. In contrast, women tend to have a higher likelihood of adopting low‐risk and low‐return traditional CSA practices such as water harvesting, crop covering, rangeland management and pest management. Our subsample analysis shows significant heterogeneity in the gender gap across countries. The results of the decomposition of the observed gender gap show that personal values and norms, access to weather and production information and farm characteristics are important factors that explain the gender differential in the likelihood of CSA adoption. Our findings imply that equalising access to key resources such as plots of land, information and decision making power will be crucial to close the gender gap in the adoption of CSA practices. This is particularly important given the differential impacts of climate change between men and women in sub‐Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilizers play an essential role in increasing crop yield, maintaining soil fertility, and provide a steady supply of nutrients for plant requirements. The excessive use of conventional fertilizers can cause environmental problems associated with nutrient loss through volatilization in the atmosphere, leaching to groundwater, surface run-off, and denitrification. To mitigate environmental issues and improve the longevity of fertilizer in soil, controlled release fertilizers (CRFs) have been developed. The application of CRFs can reduce the loss of nutrients, provide higher nutrient use efficiency, and improve soil health simultaneously to achieve the goals of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices. The major findings of this review paper are (1) CRFs can prevent direct exposure of fertilizer granule to soil and prevent loss of nutrients such as nitrate and nitrous oxide emissions; (2) CRFs are less affected by the change in environmental parameters, and that can increase longevity in soil compared to conventional fertilizers; and (3) CRFs can maintain required soil nitrogen levels, increase water retention, reduce GHG emissions, lead to optimum pH for plant growth, and increase soil organic matter content. This paper could give good insights into the ongoing development and future perspectives of CRFs for CSA practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to reveal potential research possibilities for enhancing climatesmart agriculture through short supply chains. Research question -- How can short supply chains assure food security and the promotion of climatesmart agriculture? Research methodology -- Bibliographic and bibliometric coupling techniques were employed using data from 1990-2022. The raw data was processed using the VOSviewer 1.6.18 software version. Findings -- The results confirm the positive effect of the systemically important relationship between the short supply chain and food security. Research limitations -- Climate-smart agriculture is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Additional variables may have moderating and mediating effects on the impact of short supply chains on food security. Practical implications -- The results establish the importance of having a short supply chain for food security in different aspects of the process from the harvest to the table. Originality and value -- This study confirms the rationale for developing shorter food supply chains to assure food security and climate-smart agriculture when possibl [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate change adaptation field has evolved considerably in recent years. Important contributions have been made, with scholars developing methods for assessing vulnerability in different countries and communities, documenting broad strategies for adaptation and identifying opportunities for and barriers to adaptation as well as ways to enhance adaptive capacity. Issues of sustainability are, however, not readily argued and embraced. Predominantly, our analysis exposes that current adaptation discourse, particularly in Africa, offers a narrow conceptualisation of sustainability. The paper argues for a clear framework of sustainability in adaptation discourse which encompasses awareness to contextual aspects in responding to climate variability and change as well as resilience aspects. The paper also calls for an expansion of the knowledge base around the concept of 'climate-smart agriculture' towards effectively incorporating sustainability aspects in climate change adaptation discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation Agriculture has emerged as a popular form of climate smart agriculture aimed at enhancing climate change resilience for smallholder farmers across Africa. Despite positive biophysical results, adoption rates remain low. It has been acknowledged that improved understanding of farmer decision-making is needed due to the variation in socio-economic and agro-ecological contexts which drives the research agenda to answer the question 'what forms of Conservation Agriculture work, where, and why?'. To fully understand this question, we need to approach the study of Conservation Agriculture within complex farming systems by collating and integrating different forms of knowledge. In this paper, we discuss (1) a comparison of disciplinary approaches to evaluating Conservation Agriculture in Malawi, (2) the identification of the knowledge gaps that persist at the intersection of these disciplines and (3) recommendations for alternative and interdisciplinary approaches in addressing these knowledge gaps. With a focus on published studies from Malawi, we show that the Conservation Agriculture literature represents two distinct approaches to addressing the question 'what forms of Conservation Agriculture work, where, and why?', namely agro-ecological and socio-economic and that neither of these approaches can address the full scope of this question, in particular its 'why' component. To overcome these challenges, there is a need for access to compatible, comprehensive data sets, methodological approaches including farmer participation and ethnography, through on-farm trial research as a middle ground between disciplinary approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses contrasting discourses of ‘climate-smart agriculture’ (CSA) for their implications on control over and access to changing resources in agriculture. One of the principal areas of contestation around CSA relates to equity, including who wins and who loses, who is able to participate, and whose knowledge and perspectives count in the process. Yet to date, the equity implications of CSA remain an under-researched area. We apply an equity framework centred on procedure, distribution and recognition, to four different discourses. Depending on which discourses are mobilised, the analysis helps to illuminate: (1) how CSA may transfer the burden of responsibility for climate change mitigation to marginalised producers and resource managers (distributive equity); (2) how CSA discourses generally fail to confront entrenched power relations that may constrain or block the emergence of more ‘pro-poor’ forms of agricultural development, adaptation to climate change, or carbon sequestration and storage (procedural equity); (3) how CSA discourses can have tangible implications for the bargaining power of the poorest and most vulnerable groups (recognition). The paper contributes to work showing the need for deeper acknowledgement of the political nature of the transformations necessary to address the challenges caused by a changing climate for the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The impact of climate change, including fires, droughts and storms, on natural resources and agricultural output is increasing. In addition to these problems, resource depletion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, agriculture also contributes to global warming. To reduce the dangers of climate change, farmers are using sustainable practices. This article aims to link agri‐food 4.0 technology with climate‐smart agriculture (CSA) to lessen the two‐way interaction (both affecting and impacted) between the agricultural sector and global warming, as well as dangers related to the agri‐food business. In light of this information, the research methodology of the paper is twofold. Initially, related risks towards climate change and the CSA and agri‐food 4.0 technologies to overcome these risks were determined through a literature review. Then, risks and technologies are evaluated by adopting the TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for Interactive and Multicriteria Decision Making), which is used for evaluating the criteria set with the related technologies to overcome climate change‐related risks and provide a guiding map for academics and practitioners to eliminate risks associated with these climate change‐related factors. According to the study's findings, the highest‐priority concerns in the agri‐food industries that are connected to climate change include energy consumption, food safety and GHG emissions. Internet of Things (IoT), bio‐innovation and artificial intelligence are thought to be the most promising technological solutions to address these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is fundamental for ecosystem functioning, sustainable crop production, soil health, and attainment of food and nutrition security. Loss of biodiversity in Africa and across the globe, and its negative impacts on food security, climate, and health must be curbed. African indigenous and underutilized crops are not likely to cause diet-related diseases. In addition, some of them cannot be adversely affected by climate change, and they also require minimum agronomic input to yield optimally. Besides supplying appropriate proportions of essential minerals, underutilized horticultural crops can also reduce hunger and alleviate poverty. While abiotic stresses like low/high temperature, drought, light intensity, and sub-optimal relative humidity will have negative impacts on exotic plants growth and development, indigenous crops are seldom affected. It is of great importance that the neglected and underutilized plant species (NUS) also serve a dual purpose as food for man as well as animal feed. Despite these crucial roles that the NUS play, some are still threatened with neglect and potentials not maximized. This paper discusses strategies that can be adopted to conserve NUS for their optimum utilization, with the Nigerian rain forest species as prototypes. Deliberate identification and cultivation of the NUS, establishment of gene and field banks, recognition and promotion of the NUS through national and special research and development programmes, use of media, including social, extension agents and agencies, linking the NUS to relevant industries including food, feed, and pharmaceuticals, and biodiversity conservation through diversified farming systems etc. are major key strategies for Climate-smart and sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is widely recognized as a solution to food insecurity and poverty, especially in rural areas. However, 75% of the world's poor live in rural areas, and agriculture is the primary source of their livelihood. One may wonder if the observed correlation between agriculture and poverty also suggests causation. If that is the case, then what such causal relationship might exist? Is agriculture a vehicle for poverty alleviation or a source of poverty trap? The role of climate change is rather undisputed: associated extreme weather phenomena cause severe negative impacts on agriculture, exacerbating rural poverty. However, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is acclaimed to potentially reverse the situation by eliminating poverty and food insecurity. Against this backdrop, the paper investigates whether smallholder farmers who adopt CSA could achieve food security and better income. This aim was approached through three key research objectives (i) to examine the effects of climate change on smallholder farmers, (ii) to examine the extent to which smallholder farmers adopt CSA and the barriers to adoption, and (iii) to investigate empirically the effects of CSA practices in terms of food security and poverty alleviation. The Upper West and Upper East regions in Ghana were selected purposively for the case study, and the data collected were analyzed using inferential and descriptive techniques. The results revealed no statistically significant positive relationship between the adoption of CSA with food security and income. Poor socioeconomic and market conditions marred the expected positive effects of CSA, hence the need for the provision of agricultural infrastructures and inputs as well as the creation of market for commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change has posed serious threats to agricultural production. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ensuring food security are considered the greatest challenges in this century. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a concept that can provide a solution to the challenges that agricultural development faces. It can do so in a sustainable way by increasing adaptability, decreasing GHG emissions, and ensuring national food security. So far, little research has systematically reviewed the progresses in CSA in developing and in developed countries. A review on the recent advancements, challenges, and future directions of CSA will be quite timely and valuable. In this paper, the definition and development goals of CSA are identified. Then, the recent advancements of CSA in developing and in developed countries are reviewed. The existing problems and challenges in CSA are analyzed and pointed out. Finally, the proposals on prospects and directions for CSA in the future are proposed. Using advanced internet technology to ensure agricultural information security, improvement of cropping patterns, and management techniques, carrying out "internet + weather" service and improving the quality of agricultural service, and conducting agricultural weather index-based insurance are considered as the main direction of future development of CSA. This review provides new ideas and strategies for strengthening ecological environmental protection, promoting agricultural green development, and mitigating climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change must be the most serious environmental crisis of the present human generation. While corresponding climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices are emerging, the extent to which CSA is profitable to farmers is unclear. In this paper, we focus on agrophotovoltaics (APV), one of the CSA policies intensively pursued by the Korean government, to analyze the profitability of APV and its implications for rural sustainability. First, we consider the total profit of farms before and after APV installation by a region through generalized least squares (GLS) to verify that APV has overall profitability through the region. Additionally, we estimate farms' productivity by region with a generalized method of moments (GMM) to compare with the results of the profitability. We predict that APV installation will be more profitable than not installing, and the regions with lower productivity will show higher profitability than other regions. The results are in line with the prediction. The profitability of APV is verified in all regions, and the order of profitability by region and productivity by region are opposite to each other. It suggests that regions with lower productivity may have a higher preference for installing APV, implying the installation of APV provides a new incentive to continue farming even in regions with low agricultural productivity. These results have an important policy implication on rural sustainability since the implementation of CSA could generate a sound and sustainable farming environment by addressing the challenges of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies on household dietary diversity and food insufficiency as indicators of food and nutrition security in Kenya. Using a combination of Propensity Score Matching and endogenous treatment effect approaches, we found that adoption of stress-tolerant varieties of several crops (such as bean, pigeon pea, cowpea, maize and sorghum) improved household dietary diversity score by 40% and reduced food insufficiency by 75%. Adoption of improved and resilient livestock breeds (including Red Maasai sheep and Galla goats) improved household dietary diversity by 38% while reducing household food insufficiency by 90%. We also found that stress-tolerant crop varieties were more effective in improving food security outcomes among households with large landholdings and with more educated and younger to middle-age heads. Effects of resilient livestock breeds on household food security were much stronger for households with large landholdings and with young and/or much older heads that have low levels of education. Given the large, demonstrated benefits from the use of the CSA technologies, policies and programs aimed at their promotion should apply appropriate targeting to ensure wider uptake of the technologies and maximum returns on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific basis for conceptualizing how farm households achieve the three climate-smart agriculture (CSA) pillars, the "triple benefit", is not well developed. This paper examined the impacts of CSA innovations on simultaneously enhancing food security, climate adaptation, and reducing GHG emissions. A cross-sectional household survey was collected from a multi-stage sample of 424 smallholder farmers selected from five agroecosystems of the upper Blue Nile highlands in Ethiopia and analyzed using an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model. CSA innovations, improved variety, compost, row planting, and agroforestry, provide farmers with the benefits of enhanced food security and climate change adaptation, reducing GHG emissions from farm plots. Crop rotation provides farmers with enhanced food security and reduced livelihood vulnerability, while SWC meets the goal of enhancing food security and reducing GHG emissions. Unfortunately, adopting crop residue management, one of the recommended CSA practices in Ethiopia, does not deliver at least two of the CSA pillars. Farmers should be encouraged to adopt improved variety, crop rotation, compost, row planting, soil and water conservation, and agroforestry as the best portfolio of CSA innovation for highland smallholder agriculture systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security, poverty and the overall sustainability of food and agricultural systems are influenced by a series of global trends. Nowadays, economic growth, population dynamics, and climate change disproportionately affect different regions. Conventional agriculture also contributes to accentuating these changes. As a result, we are faced with several challenges in the fields of food and agriculture. So, innovative systems are needed to protect and enhance the natural resource base as productivity increases. Consequently, today, but also in the future, the farming systems that counteract the negative impact of climate change must be in the attention of practitioners. Moreover, regulations in the field are necessary, and the implementation of such systems must be carried out in relation to the specificity of the geographical area. In view of the above, in the present paper, a brief overview was made on some agricultural systems aimed at counteracting the negative effects of global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to achieve sustainable agricultural production to secure food, fiber, and fuel for a growing global population. Climate-smart (CS) actions (no-till and cover crops) can reduce carbon emissions and promote soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. Contemporary voluntary carbon markets provide producers with a monetary incentive to adopt CS actions. However, SOC–yield dynamics under CS actions are not well known, making it difficult for producers to judge whether additional income from carbon credits will offset potential losses to yield income. We designed a SOC–yield framework that captures SOC–yield–income dynamics under traditional (reduced tillage, no cover crops) and CS actions. Using a modified structured decision-making approach, we applied the framework to a case study in which producers aim to increase income by selling carbon credits after adopting CS actions. Specifically, we demonstrated how to balance tradeoffs between yield and carbon credit income that arise from tillage and winter cover crop actions (cereal rye, Secale cereale L. and crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L.) in a soybean (Glycine max L.) production system in Mississippi. Results indicated that a producer could minimize losses to net yield income by adopting no-till if already using cover crops. There was also evidence that carbon credit income could offset losses to yield income when adopting CS in place of traditional actions. Identifying risks to yield income and SOC storage can help design carbon neutrality policies that have minimum impact on a producer's income. History: This paper has been accepted for the Decision Analysis Special Issue on Decision Analysis to Advance Environmental Sustainability. Funding: This work was supported by the USDA-ARS [Grants 58-0200-0-002 (Advancing Agricultural Research) and 58-6001-8-003] and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture [McIntire Stennis Project 1020959]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/deca.2023.0478. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compelling evidence in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) shows that Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has a positive impact on agricultural productivity. However, the uptake of CSA remains low, which is related to anthropogenic, or human-related, decisions about CSA and agricultural land use. This paper assesses households' decisions to allocate agricultural land to CSA technologies across space and over time. We use the state-contingent theory, mixed methods, and mixed data sources. While agricultural land is increasing, forest land is decreasing across countries in SSA. The results show that household decisions to use CSA and the extent of agricultural land allocation to CSA remain low with a negative trend over time in SSA. Owned land and accessing land through rental markets are positively associated with allocating land to CSA technologies, particularly where land pressure is high. Regarding adaptation, experiencing rainfall shocks is significantly associated with anthropogenic land allocation to CSA technologies. The country policy assessment further supports the need to scale up CSA practices for adaptation, food security, and mitigation. Therefore, scaling up CSA in SSA will require that agriculture-related policies promote land tenure security and land markets while promoting climate-smart farming for food security, adaptation, and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a major threat to agriculture production among small-scale farms worldwide. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is one of the technologies and strategies to sustain agriculture growth in a changing climate. Researchers are finding ways to collect big data, which are required to clarify local climate change and its impacts on agriculture to pinpoint the farming strategies for the practice of CSA. The honeybee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) hives around the world which are equipped with digital devices for continuously monitoring the status of colonies for precise beekeeping, accumulate huge amounts of data that can be used to address some questions about CSA. In this paper, we confer an overview of the big beehive data (BBD) and data science and identifies their potential applications to support CSA, as well as several challenges confronted by this approach. Here, we also outline that how can we predict the bee-plant interaction based on monitoring dynamics in honey production using novel and technological approaches. Numerous approaches including big data analytics, IoT, Wireless sensor network (WSN)-based monitoring systems, machine learning, and AI algorithms are being considered as a power source to assist in delivering novel insights and explication to the problems. We put in examples where all these approaches have been employed for monitoring and analyzing BBD. Moreover, we predict their role to aid in apiary management with the perspective of CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a new agricultural development pattern to address future food crises. Since CSA was proposed in 2010, it has attracted the attention of scholars from all over the world. It is of great significance to scientifically summarize the overview and emerging trends of CSA research, providing ideas for scholars concerned about CSA to engage in research in this field. Based on bibliometrics and CSA-related literature data in the WOS database, this paper used CiteSpace software to draw knowledge maps to scientifically analyze publications in the field of CSA. Our study found that (1) CSA research is showing a rapid upward trend, focusing on the environmental sciences and agricultural economic management; (2) international organizations such as the FAO, World Bank, and the international agricultural research institute have made significant contributions to CSA research; (3) among the nine clusters in the CSA literature, CSA practice, conservation agriculture, smallholder farmers, and sub-Saharan Africa have been consistently given high attention; (4) CSA research can be divided into three phases, and the research hotspots have transferred from essential elements of CSA to household and carbon emissions. We believe that in future research, more attention should be paid to the trade-off and synergy of the three pillars of CSA, as well as the investment, finance, and evaluation criteria of CSA. Such strengthening is of great significance to the sustainable promotion of CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is one of the innovative approaches for sustainably increasing the agricultural productivity, improving livelihoods and incomes of farmers, while at the same time improving resilience and contributing to climate change mitigation. In spite of the fact that there is neither explicit policy nor practices branded as CSA in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), farmers are utilizing an array of farming practices whose attributes meet the CSA criteria. However, the intensity, distribution, efficiency, and dynamics of use as well as the sources of these technologies are not sufficiently documented. Therefore, this review paper provides a comprehensive evidence of CSA-associated farming practices in DRC, public and private efforts to promote CSA practices, and the associated benefits accruing from the practices as deployed by farmers in the DRC. We find evidence of progress among farming communities in the use of practices that can be classified as CSA. Communities using these practices are building on the traditional knowledge systems and adaptation of introduced technologies to suit the local conditions. Reported returns on use of these practices are promising, pointing to their potential continued use into the future. While progressive returns on investment are reported, they are relatively lower than those reported from other areas in sub-Saharan Africa deploying similar approaches. We recommend for strategic support for capacity building at various levels, including public institutions for policy development and guidance, extension and community level to support uptake of technologies and higher education institutions for mainstreaming CSA into curricula and training a generation of CSA sensitive human resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assessed the status of climate smart agriculture (CSA) among VADI farmers in North-central Nigeria using qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection. Two hundred and forty-seven farmers were randomly selected from the study area. Also, focus group discussions were conducted. Data collected were subjected to qualitative analysis and logit regression. The study identified five broad and important practices relevant to CSA in North-central Nigeria, which include: mobility and social networks, adjusting agricultural production systems, diversification on and beyond the farm, farm financial management, and knowledge management and regulations. The determinants of CSA in north-central Nigeria include: farming experience, education, extension, livestock ownership, income, land ownership, household size, credit, land area cultivated, distance to the market and water resources, leadership position, risk orientation, gender, and mass media exposure. Government policies need to support research and development that develops and diffuses the climate-smart technologies to help farmers respond to changes in climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assessed the climate smart agricultural practices using learning videos in Irepodun LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria using qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection. One hundred and forty-eighty farmers were randomly selected using interview schedule. Also, focus group discussions were conducted with 137 participants. Pairwise comparison was used to evaluate the difference between the proportion of household heads who used the videos to learn and those who did not use the videos. The study revealed that farmers have similar perception of climate change and related impacts in video-villages and in non-video-villages. However, the study revealed farmers’ observation of climate change and related impacts are influenced by gender, with men perceiving more climate change and related impacts than women. In non-video villages, few respondents adopted crop rotation, intercropping, crop diversification, and improved short-cycle seed varieties as climate change adaptation strategies. Videos contribute more to the adoption of crop rotation, intercropping and fertilizer application for men than for women. Videos on accounting (managing money) enable more women than men to enhance their cost-benefit evaluation practices for income improvement. During the interviews, women farmers in video-villages were eager to demonstrate their knowledge about cost-benefit evaluation. Furthermore, the yield of sorghum, cassava and maize is higher in video-villages than in non-video-villages. Thus, using videos as an extension tool is suitable for knowledge development and leads to the high adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices for food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]