Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Security in Southern Africa: A Review of the Vulnerability of Smallholder Agriculture and Food Security to Climate Change

Abstract

Southern Africa is facing chronic food insecurity mainly because of the multistressor context in which agriculture is practiced in this region. Climate-change-related constraints are fueling food shortages for marginalized rural communities. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has been recognized as a key strategy for mitigating the effects of climate change. However, there has been a minimal level of adoption of CSA among smallholder farmers in southern Africa. Factors contributing to the limited adoption of CSA include poor access to resources by smallholder farmers, poverty, poor infrastructure, and an inadequate level of farmer advisory and resource service provision. These are the same factors that have resulted in the increased vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate shocks in southern Africa. Currently, there are a limited number of reviews that simultaneously address the impacts of climate change and CSA on southern Africa’s smallholder agricultural sector. The current review synthesizes information on the contribution of smallholder agriculture to food security in southern Africa, highlighting the vulnerability of smallholder agriculture to climate shocks and the effect of CSA activities practiced in the region. To come up with this writeup, we reviewed information from reliable, published journal articles, institutional reports, and our knowledge of agricultural systems in southern Africa. The adoption of CSA agriculture can be enhanced by the advancement of favorable policies by national governments. This includes adequate participation from smallholders, particularly women, in governance via bottom-up policymaking.