Potential for Scaling up Climate Smart Agricultural Practices: Examples from Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is predominantly rain-fed, and erratic weather patterns and extreme weather events, exacerbated by the changing climate, adds to the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in producing enough food to feed the ever growing population of the region. While the farming communities are responding to these challenges, there is an intensive need for scaling-up adoption of appropriate interventions that can help increase crop yields and resilience to climate change. A review and analysis of potential climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAs) in SSA indicate that some CSAs are increasingly adopted by farmers and show potential for scaling up. Some particularly promising CSAs include drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties and sustainable intensification through crop associations which are increasingly adopted across SSA regions. Other CSA’s which also offer promise include water harvesting and small-scale irrigation, climate information, and natural resource conservation. The presence of successful smallholder CSA practices in SSA means that opportunities exist for cross-country learning and scaling up by supporting farmers’ efforts through exchange of knowledge, incentives and policies.