Climate-smart Agriculture Technologies Research Articles

A bibliometric analysis of smallholder farmers’ climate change adaptation challenges: a SADC region outlook

Purpose This paper aims to explore pathways in which adaptation challenges may occur. Focus is on the barriers to adaptation, challenges to adaptation and maladaptation with reference to smallholder farmers in the Southern African Development Community region. Design/methodology/approach Bibliometric analysis techniques were used to track the literature on smallholder farmers’ adaptation challenges. Web of Science was the main data source. A total of 41 articles were retained for analysis and exported into Visualization of Similarities Viewer Software where the development of research on the subject, co-occurrence of keywords analysis, top publishers, citations and total link strength was done. Findings Results indicate that research on smallholder farmers’ adaptation challenges is not new but has gained more consideration post-2020. The main adaptation challenges emanate from perception barriers and constraints based on determinants of adoption, limitations for resilience building and achieving sustainable adaptation as well as contestations around Climate Smart Agriculture technologies. Practical implications Effective design of adaptation policies should center on prioritizing the needs of the local people. This would reduce the occurrences of smallholder farmers’ adaptation challenges, promote resilience building and contribute toward achieving sustainable adaptation. Originality/value It is equally important to document adaptation challenges. However, adaptation challenges are rarely shared with the same enthusiasm as its successes. This work focuses on the matter with the intention of conscientizing smallholder farmers to reduce the risk of repeating the same adaptation mistakes.

A Farmer-Centric Cost–Benefit Analysis of Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Gandaki River Basin of Nepal

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a climate-resilient practice that stands out globally as an important practice through which we can deal with emerging challenges through adaptation and mitigation to increase crop productivity and resilience. Despite its significance, a comprehensive cost–benefit analysis of the adoption of these practices has not yet been carried out. This study aims to bridge the knowledge gap between the cost and effectiveness of CSA practices adopted by small-scale farmers in growing rice, wheat and maize, the most staple crops in the Gandaki River Basin of Nepal. In this study, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), benefit–cost (BC) ratio, net benefit investment (NK) ratio and payback period, along with the value of externalities (social and environmental), were employed to assess the profitability of CSA practices. The findings indicate that almost all the CSA practices analyzed were profitable, with the exception of solar water management in maize with very low IRR (6%) and a longer payback period. The outcome of this study offers valuable insights for farmers in choosing profitable CSA technology and for policy makers in promoting better CSA technology, upscaling CSA practices, and formulating new agricultural policies and programs in the context of the changing climate.

Does climate-smart agriculture technology improve farmers' subjective well-being? Micro-level evidence from Odisha, India

Since the global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, food production must increase by 70% in the next 30 years to provide food security in the face of climate change. Implementing climate-smart agriculture technology (CSAT) is essential for ensuring food security and promoting economic growth in the context of sustainable agriculture. Climate change and weather patterns significantly affect agricultural yield, necessitating the implementation of more efficient, productive, and climate-resilient techniques. However, the use of CSAT is a behavioural decision that affects the subjective well-being of the users. Using smart agricultural practices reduces climate change's impact on agricultural productivity and promotes sustainable agriculture, improving adopters' welfare. This study examines how the use of CSAT affects rural households' subjective well-being in Odisha, India. The result of the study shows that the use of CSAT significantly affects the subjective well-being of the farmers. The measured impact is 0.149, 0.181, and 0.144 for farmers whose intensity is 0.251–0.500, 0.501–0.750, and 0.751 and above, respectively, as compared to farmers whose intensity is 0.0–0.250. This implies greater satisfaction for farmers who engage in the moderate use of CSAT practices. Low utilization of technology may not yield benefits for farmers, while the adoption of advanced technology may not be economically viable. Additionally, CSAT is not easily available to households residing in low-lying areas, preventing them from improving their well-being. Only a small number of landowners in impoverished areas utilize CSAT. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate government regulations regarding land and tenancy as well as develop measures for farmers to adapt to new technologies.

Climate smart agricultural policy in sub-Saharan Africa: a case study of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality of North West Province, South Africa

ABSTRACT This paper analyses climate-smart agricultural (CSA) policies and strategies in sub-Saharan Africa, using a case study of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in South Africa. It is argued that the development and implementation of coherent policies is one of the approaches to offering effective responses to adaptation and to mitigating the influences of climate change. The results of the study, which drew on qualitative data gathered through participatory research, showed that 30%, 70%, 50%, and 60% of the community members, farmers, NGOs, and government participants were unaware of or did not understand climate-smart agriculture practices. Additionally, this study highlighted the absence of awareness and knowledge of CSA policies across all participants, indicating a significant gap in information dissemination and education on sustainable agricultural practices. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted education and awareness initiatives to promote climate-smart agriculture in the region. Without a proper understanding and implementation of CSA practices, communities in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality struggle to adapt to the changing climate and its impacts on agriculture. The results emphasise the necessity of raising awareness among different stakeholders in order to enhance the efficacy of agricultural practices’ adaptations to climate change. In order to ensure sustainable agricultural practices in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, it is imperative that practices like collaboration, CSA technology, integration, financing, increased private sector involvement in CSA promotion, and sector-specific policies foster an environment that is favourable to CSA practices.

Impact of climate-smart agriculture practices on multidimensional poverty among coastal farmers in Bangladesh

Climate-smart agriculture technology helps safeguard crop income from climate change-induced crop loss. Here we identify the factors determining the adoption of climate-smart agriculture and the impact of its adoption on multidimensional poverty among coastal climate-vulnerable farm households. We employ full information maximum likelihood estimation under the endogenous switching regression approach to account for counterfactual scenarios. Results indicate that the decision to adopt climate-smart agriculture is influenced by crop vulnerability, crop income, access to extension service, and training on input management. The current adopters of climate-smart agriculture experience a 41-percentage point reduction in multidimensional poverty compared to if they had not adopted this technique. Likewise, if the current non-adopters adopted climate-smart technology they could reduce poverty by 15 percentage points. Findings also claim that some specific climate-smart technologies are particularly effective in reducing poverty, providing valuable information to coastal farmers in making informed decisions about which technologies may be effective.

Calibration and Evaluation of CERES-Maize and CROPGRO-Dry Bean Crop Simulation Models of the DSSAT in the Great Rift Valley Region of Ethiopia

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most principal cereal crops ranking first in production in Ethiopia, predominantly produced and consumed directly by the smallholder farmers in the Great Rift Valley (GRV) of Ethiopia. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is also the most important legume crops as the source of protein and export commodity in the GRV. However, the average maize and common bean yields in Ethiopia are still low due to abiotic, biotic and socioeconomic constraints. In this regard, Crop simulation models (CSMs) are used in predicting growth and yield of crops and associated yield gaps under various management options and changing climatic parameters that are profitable with minimal unwanted impacts on the environment. Before using the CSMs, it is necessary to specify model parameters and understand the uncertainties associated with simulating variables that are needed for decision-making. Therefore, the research objective of this study was to calibrate and evaluate the performance of the CERES-Maize and CROPGRO-Dry bean CSMs of the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) in the GRV of Ethiopia. The generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) method was used to estimate the genetic parameters of the CSM-CERES-Maize and CROPGRO-Dry bean models. Root mean squared error (RMSE) and Index of agreement (I) were used to evaluate the performance of the models. The DSSAT model reasonably reproduced observations for days to anthesis, days to physiological maturity, and grain yields, with values for the index of agreement of 0.97, 0.88 and 0.61 for CERES-Maize and 0.84, 0.75 and 0.51 for CROPGRO-Dry bean. Similarly, root mean square errors were moderate for days to anthesis (1.2 and 1.2 days), maturity (4.1 and 1.6 days), and yield (0.8 and 1.1 t/ha) for CERES-Maize and CROPGRO-Dry bean, respectively. The model has been successfully calibrated and evaluated for maize and common bean crop varieties and can now it can be taken for further applications in evaluating various crop and soil management options including climate smart agriculture technologies and climate change impact studies.

Coupled coordination and pathway analysis of food security and carbon emission efficiency under climate-smart agriculture orientation

Owing to the contradiction between agricultural production and environmental development, the issues of food security and carbon mitigation cannot be isolated, and achieving coupled and coordinated development is the key to agricultural sustainability. This study adopted the coupled coordination model and dynamic qualitative comparative analysis (dynamic QCA) method to measure the coupled coordination degree (CCD) of the food security index (FSI) and agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE) in 31 provinces of China from 2010 to 2021, seeking paths to achieve high coupled coordination from Climate-Smart Agriculture technology, external environment, and incentive dimensions, and simulating path selection differences under various CSA priority scenarios. The results indicated that the CCD of the FSI and ACEE in China significantly increased year-on-year increase, with significant regional differences primarily reflected in the Northeast > East > West > Central regions. Based on the CSA orientation, the “technology-environmental safeguard” linkage path and the “technology-environment-incentive” hybrid path are proposed. There are differences in CSA practices across regions, which require customization based on their unique socioeconomic, ecological, and political landscapes. When priorities favour food security, the “technology-environment-incentive” hybrid pathway supports high CCD, and as priorities increase, the contribution of CSA technologies, centred on water-saving irrigation, increases and the role of the external environment diminishes. When the priority tendency is to mitigate emissions, both paths can achieve high CCD. As the priority tendency for carbon emissions increases, urbanisation and CSA technologies such as water-saving irrigation and straw return become essential factors contributing to higher coupling coordination, and the role of agriculture-related financial expenditures diminishes. These findings provide policy support for safeguarding food security and low-carbon agriculture.

Unraveling farmers' interrelated adaptation and mitigation adoption decisions under perceived climate change risks

Climate change poses a risk to agricultural activity. Understanding farmers' behaviors is increasingly important for managing climate risks and improving their adaptive capacity. This study aims to identify the key risk-related drivers influencing several adaptation and mitigation strategies by adopting various Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies to reduce climate change vulnerability. We investigate the interrelated nature of the adoption of CSA technologies related to soil fertility, soil conservation, agroforestry, agro-advisory apps, and alternative coffee farming practices. To explore the role of the perceived risks related to CSA technology adoption, we constructed an extended model that combines protection motivation theory, perceived farmers' adoption risks and social and demographic determinants. We collected empirical data from 519 coffee farmers in Costa Rica and analyzed the data through a multivariate probit technique. The analysis reveals how the influence of perceived climate risks severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, self-efficacy, and perceived cost changes according to the CSA technology. As for the perceived adoption risks, we show that the adoption likelihood of CSA technologies focused on mitigation decreases with increasing perceived adoption risk. Other determinants, such as the number of coffee buyers and the farmers' membership in an organization, steer the adoption of soil fertility practices, agroforestry, and agro-advisory mobile apps. Main theoretical implications include the integration of the CSA adoption risk-related perceptions to the protection motivation theory, since it reflects on farmers' fear of potential losses or additional costs associated with implementing these practices. The finding gives a nuanced explanation of farmers' decisions under pressing climate change threats. Practical implications for increasing CSA adoption are that CSA promotion programs must consider that farmers see CSA technologies as interrelated in their adoption decisions, meaning that more fruitful synergies could be promoted by acknowledging the bundled adoption of multiple CSA technologies. Thus, promoting a mix of CSA technologies and practices is essential for achieving resilience while increasing productivity.

Do Community Capitals Influence Climate Adaptation? Critique of Financial, Physical, Human and Social Capital in the Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies among Smallholder Farming Community in Lamu County, Kenya

Purpose: This study aimed to establish a framework for testing the community capitals theory and assessing the empirical significance of financial, physical, human, and social capital in the adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies. Materials and Methods: Data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires administered to 256 randomly selected household heads. An ordinal logistic regression model was employed to analyze the significance of community capitals in climate-smart agriculture adoption. The data is presented in tables. Findings: The results revealed several important findings. Access to finance has a significant positive association with Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption (P<0.001, OR=3.23). Input subsidies are also significantly positively associated with Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption (P=0.001, OR=3.66). Training shows a significant positive association with Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption (P<0.007, OR=2.03). Labor has a highly significant and positive relationship with Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption (P=0.001, OR=8.97). Interaction positively and significantly correlates with higher levels of Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption (P=0.021, OR=4.04). Additionally, empowerment demonstrates a significant positive association with Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption (P=0.006, OR=2.96). Notably, the model challenged the conventional view of finance and labor as independent determinants for climate-smart agriculture adoption, instead positioning them within a social context. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study suggests that climate action programs should prioritize social ties over investments in financial, physical, or human interventions to enhance climate-smart agriculture adoption and promote resilience. Lastly, combining the Community Capital Framework with Social Capital Theory offers a more detailed understanding of the factors influencing Climate-Smart Agriculture adoption, emphasizing the interaction between various types of capital and social dynamics.

Uptake of climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices: a three-phase behavioral model

Uptake of climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices: a three-phase behavioral model

Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Decisions to Use Multiple Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies in North Wello Zone, Northern Ethiopia

Climate change presents significant challenges to agriculture in developing nations, affecting farmers’ livelihoods and food security. In Ethiopia, agriculture is crucial to the economy and the well-being of millions. This study focuses on analyzing the determinants that affect smallholder farmers’ adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies in the North Wello administrative zone, northern Ethiopia. Through multivariate and ordered probit econometric models, data from 411 rural household heads were analyzed. Results reveal the synergy among climate-smart agricultural practices in rainfed farming systems, essential for crafting a comprehensive CSA package within an agroecological framework. The multivariate probit estimation results show that education, membership in local organizations, farm size, tropical livestock unit (TLU), irrigated land ownership, plot number, steep slope, farmland distance to home, and access to a local media source are positive determinants for the decision to use the type and several climate-smart agricultural practices. Lack of credit, large family size, distance from extension services, and proximity to the nearest market were all associated with lower adoption of all CSA technologies. The findings suggest that blanket recommendations for climate-smart agricultural technologies for smallholder farmers can be avoided. The complementarities that exist between CSA technologies may require further investigation into how such complementarities have benefits in terms of improving land productivity and food security and reducing climate-related risks for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and other contexts. Moreover, by emphasizing an agroecological framework, the study promotes environmentally sustainable and socially equitable agricultural practices that are economically viable, contributing to broader environmental sustainability and development goals.

Drivers and barriers to climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies adoption: Insights from stakeholders of five European food supply chains

The adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a critical component in the transition to a more sustainable food system. However, the transition calls for significant changes in the food production system, in which stakeholders in the supply chain should work collaboratively. So far, most studies have focused on the perceptions of one actor, the farmer, on implementation of CSA practices. This study aims to include also other stakeholders’ perceptions on drivers and barriers to CSA implementation in the primary production for five European food supply chains. Data were collected from stakeholders using a semi-structured interview guide, including farmers, producers and manufacturers, advisory service providers, advocacy institutions, policy officers, researchers, and consultants. The top three drivers to foster the adoption of CSA practices within the five food supply chains touched on economic, institutional and policy, as well as personal and psychological factors. Similarly, the top three barriers limiting adoption of CSA practices were seen to be economic, technology-related aspects, and institutional and policy factors. According to the stakeholders, addressing these barriers requires financial support, policy changes, and capacity-building efforts to make these practices attractive especially to farmers. They also emphasized that improved coordination among stakeholders, incentives for sustainable practices and customized strategies for communicating and disseminating CSA information can help catalyse effective understanding and implementation of CSA practices.

Effective extension and access to education drive optimal adoption of climate-smart agriculture interventions in affected tidal floodplains: A case study

Developing countries with predominantly agricultural economies are particularly vulnerable to short-term climate variability and long-term climate change adversities. This provides the context for adopting climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices to ensure consistent agricultural product supply and food security. Although concepts of CSA tools and strategies are well-established, their adoption trends in developing regions are still undesirable, with little to no empirical understanding of factors contributing to these trends. The current research aims to address this gap of knowledge by assessing the nature of climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, and socio-economic characteristics of the farmers influencing the adoption of CSA techniques in a rural cohort in Southwestern Bangladesh. Systematically designed interview schedules revealed that the most common and devastating consequences of climate change in the study area were increased infestation of pests and diseases. Other overlooked hazards including water-logging, cyclones and cold waves, are posing new threats to regional agriculture by changing conventional patterns. Contrary to the status quo, many CSA technologies, especially indigenous approaches, are widely and effectively adopted by farmers in the studied area to cope with climate change. These adoption tendencies and innovations in CSA were found to be significantly driven by factors such as extension and training programs, education of farmers, and dependence on on-farming income. The findings of the current study provide a preliminary analysis of the attitude, knowledge and trends of CSA technology adoption by farmers in a less-saline floodplain niche of a predominantly salinity-impacted coastal region. The study acts as a model for future relevant investigations and implementations for stakeholders with supply of inputs, technologies and expertise in finding sustainable solutions and appropriate extension for communities around the world confronted with similar challenges.

Climate change adaptation and smallholder farmers welfare: Empirical evidence from the Sahelian Region of West Africa

Global climate change has threatened sustainable agricultural growth over the years, severely affecting food sufficiency and the livelihood of farmers. The Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies (CSAT), as a form of adaptation, offer pathways for mitigating the negative effect of climate change on crop producers in developing countries. This study uses cross-country (Mali and Niger) cross-sectional data to examine the welfare (proxied by crop sales revenue and income) impact of multiple adoptions of CSAT on smallholder farm households. To control for potential endogeneity that leads to bias estimates, we employ the multinomial endogenous treatment effect (METE) model, complemented with the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) for the analysis. The result reveals that household (education, location, and assets) and plot (plot size, plot topography, and soil fertility) characteristics, institutional factors (farmer-based organization, access to formal credit, and extension service) and crop disease shock significantly influence different combinations of CSAT adoption. The impact estimates show that adopting joint combinations of CSAT leads to higher crop sales revenue and income among the farmers in most cases. These findings suggest that the adoption of CSAT as a package should be encouraged and disseminated in the West Africa Sahel region. Moreover, some sociodemographic and institutional factors such as education, credit access, farmer-based organizations, and extension services could be strengthened for easy and rapid adoption of CSAT by smallholder farmers, which subsequently improves their economic welfare.

Enhancing crop yields and farm income through climate-smart agricultural practices in Eastern India

Climate-induced increase in temperature and rainfall variability severely threaten the agricultural sector and food security in the Indian state of Odisha. Climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices, such as crop rotation and integrated soil management, help farmers adapt to climate risk and contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, this paper examines the impact of CSA practices on yield and income in vulnerable semi-arid districts of Odisha—Balangir, Kendrapara, and Mayurbhanj. We use primary survey data from 494 households collected in 2019–2020, using a multi-stage stratified sampling approach and structured questionnaire. Propensity score matching (PSM) and the two-stage least square method (2SLS) have been used to analyze the impact of CSA on income and productivity. Two instrument variables, namely distance to the extension office and percentage of adopters in a village, are used to control self-selection bias and endogeneity in our model. Both models show a positive and significant impact of the adoption of CSA on farmers’ productivity and income. The study sheds light on the significant contribution of CSA practices in fostering sustainable income growth amid environmental challenges. Overall, our results suggest that small and marginal farmers of Eastern India, a highly environmentally vulnerable area, can significantly improve their income and productivity by adopting CSA technology. Hence, policymakers should scale the adoption of CSA technology through effective extension programs.

Impact of Joint Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies on Sorghum Farmers’ Performance in Mali

Impact of Joint Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies on Sorghum Farmers’ Performance in Mali

Detection of vegetation cover change in the Southern region of Bangladesh using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices

Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change, and vegetation indices serve as sensitive indicators. Due to the impacts of climate change, the cropping intensity of Southern region of Bangladesh is very low. So, this study aimed to analyze the changes in vegetation cover over time using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and identify the use of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and the benefits of using such technologies. A questionnaire survey was carried out by purposive random sampling method to detect 120 farmers’ socioeconomic status, hazards faced by climate change, adopted climate smart agricultural practices and its benefits for assessing Adaptive Strategy Index (ASI) in Amtali upazila of Barguna district and Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali district. NDVI analysis of multi-spectral remote sensing data from 2012 and 2022 indicated the extent of sparse vegetation of Kalapara has increased. Western part of Amtali upazila, fallow areas have become lessened in 2022 (354.55 km2) compared to 2012 (368.78 km2) due to adopting different CSA practices. Saline-tolerant crop varieties, sunflowers, and watermelon cultivation were the highest ranked among the CSA practices, with 301, 300, and 296 ASI, respectively. Calculated weighted average of CSA practices indicated the reduction of production cost, increased family income (49.19%) and cropping intensity (51.67%), which impacts developed social bonding.

Review on Climate Smart Agriculture Practice: A Global Perspective

Climate change is having a detrimental effect on the environment’s natural equilibrium. The population that depends on agriculture is suffering from rising temperatures, sporadic droughts and famines, unpredictable dry spells, and irregular rains. Deploying Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a terrific strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost crop output for food security and climate change adaptation. The primary objective of this study is to provide an organized appraisal of current advancements in the field of climate-smart agriculture. For this study, the Scopus database was used to analyze 157 papers that were published between 2013 and 2022. However, the use of climate-smart agriculture technology that considers local knowledge is still quite low in developing countries. Therefore, raising the importance of indigenous knowledge in the context of climate change could aid smallholder agricultural groups in their adaptation. Improving adaptability, developing capacity, and fusing indigenous knowledge with climate-smart agricultural practices may all be necessary to increase a community’s effective resilience to climate change.

Business strategies towards climate‐smart agriculture in Europe: A literature review

AbstractIn response to increasing demands for sustainability, the entire agri‐food sector is in transition towards climate‐smart agriculture (CSA). The academic discourse on CSA has substantially expanded, including a large number of empirical studies, quite often case studies. There is a strong need to take stock of research, both from an academic and from a managerial point of view. This article integrates the dispersed insights in the literature and maps the implications for business strategies. Analysing 142 peer‐reviewed articles published in Scopus and Web of Science databases (2000–2022), we find that business strategies for CSA rely on formal institutions as well as on informal relationships characterised by trust and social interactions. The importance of a multi‐stakeholder network approach stems from the complexity of the CSA, the market failing to monetise environmental and social values and the substantial investments in new CSA technology that farmers cannot undertake independently. A successful interplay among stakeholders, however, requires alignment of value creation, distribution and capture at every individual actor and at the entire stakeholder group level.

Rice farmers’ adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies and its effects on yield and income: empirical insights from Ghana

Rice farmers’ adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies and its effects on yield and income: empirical insights from Ghana