Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach that aims to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate-resilient practices. It is a holistic approach that helps guide actions to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible. CSA supports reaching internationally agreed goals such as the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.
The approach is implemented through five action points: expanding the evidence base for CSA, supporting enabling policy frameworks, strengthening national and local institutions, enhancing funding and financing options, and implementing CSA practices at field level. What constitutes a CSA practice is context-specific, depending on local socio-economic, environmental, and climate change factors.
CSA practices include a range of techniques and technologies that are tailored to local conditions and needs. These practices can be grouped into three categories: (1) practices that increase productivity and build resilience; (2) practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and (3) practices that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Examples of practices that increase productivity and build resilience include conservation agriculture, agroforestry, integrated crop-livestock systems, and improved water management. Practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions include improved nutrient management, agroforestry, and conservation agriculture. Practices that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere include afforestation and reforestation, soil carbon sequestration, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.
CSA practices are context-specific and require a tailored approach to implementation. For example, in Africa, the use of drought-tolerant crops and conservation agriculture has been shown to increase yields and improve soil health. In Asia, the use of integrated crop-livestock systems has been shown to increase productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In Latin America, the use of agroforestry has been shown to increase productivity and build resilience.
In conclusion, Climate-Smart Agriculture is an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate-resil