Abstract
Overpopulation and climate change are among the greatest challenges the world faces. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) provides an adequate answer by aiming for higher productivity, resilience, as well as GHG emission reduction. As small-scale farms are the cornerstone of the agricultural sector, especially in developing countries, their greater involvement in climate-related actions is essential. CSA practices seek a higher and more stable income sustainably. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of how CSA is realized on small-scale farms, what the major CSA practices applied are, and what factors motivate and hamper higher CSA adoption. Based on 30 selected articles, the major message of the literature is a case/site-specific approach due to the tremendous heterogeneity of small-scale farms. As agricultural production is characterized by high risks and low returns, small-scale farmers must consider the length of the payback period when they decide on any CSA practices. This is the reason smallholdings, who implement any CSA practices, must achieve economic benefits, otherwise, they need to be compensated for providing environmental benefits. Moreover, simpler methods with low labor intensity are often applied. Access to the different financial instruments and inputs, knowledge/education/information, and land use security are the critical factors of the CSA adoption. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that, unlike off-farm activities/incomes, full-time farming is a serious commitment that positively influences CSA adoption.
Highlights
According to the latest available projection of the United Nations, the global population is forecasted to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050 [1]
As agricultural production is characterized by high risks and low returns, small-scale farmers must consider the length of the payback period when they decide on any climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices
This has serious implications for the agricultural sector all over the world. These initiatives interrelate in climate-smart agriculture (CSA), which, on the one hand, uses the latest technological achievements, while on the other hand, aims to mitigate climate change
Summary
According to the latest available projection of the United Nations, the global population is forecasted to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050 [1]. Its atmospheric concentration is projected to double by 2030, which causes a significant increase in global temperature [3]. This has serious implications for the agricultural sector all over the world. The FAO defined climate-smart agriculture as “that sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes GHGs (mitigation), and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals” [4]. CSA has three main objectives/pillars in which site-specific efforts should be applied [5]: higher agricultural productivity and income in a sustainable way; higher (adapted and built) resilience to climate change; efforts towards GHG reduction
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