The Role and Perspective of Climate Smart Agriculture in Africa: A Scientific Review

Abstract

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is gaining a wide acceptance as a laudable approach that can assist farmers to maximize the potential of the farming systems in Africa. A number of practices have been identified as CSA practices, and successful outcomes of CSA technologies are being reported. However, CSA uptake among African farmers remains low despite its proven potential. The aim of this paper is to analyse the state of CSA in Africa and identify the constraints to the uptake of the practices among smallholder farmers. This paper synthesizes a subset of literature between 2010 and 2020. The key findings are that the response to climate change and the pattern and extent of adoption of CSAs differs from one macro-area to another. Factors such as resource constraints, institutional instruments, climate and ecological settings, and farmers’ characteristics, such as farmers’ experience and access to extension services, are significant determinants of CSA adoption. Socioeconomic constraints, poor availability of data and mastery of CSA approach, inadequate labour, and the wide diversity of the farming systems in Africa are challenges militating CSA uptake in the system This paper argues that it is crucial to ensure that limited resources available are systematically harnessed to achieve the triple-win benefits of CSA. Furthermore, there is the need to identify and prioritize locally suitable CSA practices and provide an enabling environment needed for CSA uptake and sustenance in the African farming systems.