Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a strategy for guiding measures to transition agri-food systems towards more environmentally friendly and climate-resilient practices.

It strives to achieve three major goals: boosting agricultural output and incomes sustainably; adapting to and creating resilience to climate change; and decreasing and/or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions where practicable.

Climate Smart Agriculture: Features

These features are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, intending to create resilient, productive, and environmentally sustainable agricultural systems in the face of climate change.

• Climate change adaptation:
• CSA focuses on increasing the resilience of agricultural systems to the effects of climate change.
• This entails putting in place techniques and practices that assist crops, livestock, and farmers in adapting to changing climatic conditions such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves.
• Sustainable intensification:
• It emphasises the importance of increasing agricultural productivity while minimising negative environmental consequences.
• It fosters the use of natural resources such as water and nutrients more efficiently, as well as the adoption of agroecological practices that preserve or improve ecosystem services.
• Ecosystem conservation and restoration:
• It understands the necessity of protecting and repairing ecosystems for long-term agricultural viability.
• It encourages biodiversity protection, regeneration of degraded areas, and the incorporation of trees and vegetation into farming systems to improve ecosystem processes.
• Resilient livelihoods:
• CSA aims to strengthen farming communities’ resilience to climate-related shocks and pressures.
• To improve farmers’ adaptive capacity, it focuses on diversifying revenue sources, encouraging alternative livelihood options, and building social safety nets.
• Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions:
• The CSA strives to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural activities.
• It encourages the use of practises that increase carbon storage in soils, reduce animal emissions, and optimise fertiliser use to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
• Information and knowledge management:
• The need for trustworthy and timely information for decision-making is emphasised by the CSA.
• It encourages farmers to employ climate information services, early warning systems, and farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing to improve their ability to make educated decisions.
• Policy and institutional support:
• The CSA recognises the need for supportive policies, institutions, and financial instruments to assist the adoption and scaling up of climate-smart practices.
• It advocates for the incorporation of CSA principles into national agricultural strategy, financial incentives, and the enhancement of research and extension services.
• Gender and social equity:
• The CSA recognises men and women in agriculture have diverse roles, demands, and capacities.
• It fosters gender equality and social inclusion by enabling women’s access to climate-smart agriculture resources, information, and decision-making processes.

Climate Smart agricultural practices:

• Crop Management: Intercropping to maximise space, pest control & cash crop, crop rotations should include legumes, new crop varieties (e.g. drought, wind & flood tolerant), improved storage and processing techniques, greater crop diversity, underground crops (eg. yams, dasheen), stake plants to reduce wind damage, composting and organic fertilizer, mulching crops, shade house.
• Livestock Management: Improve feeding strategies (e.g. cut ‘n carry), rotational grazing, grow suitable crops (with proper management) to feed animals eg. Leucaena & gliricidia, manure treatment (well-rotted/ decomposed), improved livestock health, animal husbandry improvement.
• Soil and water management: Conservation agriculture (e.g minimum tillage), contour planting, use mounds to plant on slopes, grass barriers (e.g. kush grass), stone barriers, check dams, encase beds (pallets, bamboo), water storage (e.g. rainwater harvesting), improved irrigation (e.g. drips).
• Agroforestry: Boundary trees, & wind breaks, nitrogen-fixing trees on farms (e.g legumes), multipurpose trees (e.g. fruit trees used as windbreaker), fruit orchards.
• Integrated food energy systems: Biogas, improved stoves, solar power, ram pumps for irrigation, gravity-fed irrigation system.

Climate Smart Agriculture: Challenges

• Knowledge and skill gaps:
• Many farmers, particularly small-scale and resource-poor farmers, lack access to current information, technical skills, and climate-smart practises training.
• The adoption and application of CSA approaches are hampered by a lack of awareness and comprehension.
• Financial constraints:
• Putting climate-smart agriculture practises in place frequently necessitates large upfront expenditures in new technologies, equipment, and infrastructure.
• Many farmers, particularly those in poor countries, suffer financial constraints and find it difficult to obtain finance and funding to implement climate-smart practices.
• Policy and institutional barriers:
• Inadequate policy frameworks and weak institutional support might stymie climate-smart agriculture uptake.
• Lack of cooperation among government agencies, insufficient enforcement of regulations, and ambiguous land tenure systems can all stymie the expansion of CSA practices.
• Uncertain climate projections:
• Climate change projections and regional climatic variability might be uncertain.
• Farmers require accurate and reliable climatic information to make informed decisions and modify their agricultural practices.
• Implementing climate-smart agriculture might be difficult due to a lack of trustworthy climate data and information.
• Limited access to resources:
• Farmers may face difficulties in obtaining critical resources such as land, water, seeds, and fertilisers.
• Climate change has the potential to worsen resource scarcity, making it more difficult for farmers to apply climate-smart practices that necessitate appropriate access to these resources.
• Technological compatibility and scalability:
• Not all climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices are suitable or relevant in all agroecological zones or farming systems.
• Certain practices’ scalability and adaptability across multiple settings can be difficult, necessitating context-specific approaches and innovation.

Climate Smart Agriculture: Government Initiatives

• National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA):
• This initiative was established in 2011 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• Through the development and use of enhanced production and risk management technologies, the project intends to increase the resilience of Indian agriculture, including crops, animals, and fisheries, to climatic variability and climate change.
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC):
• It presents a national policy aimed at enabling the country to adapt to climate change and improve India’s ecological sustainability.
• It emphasises that maintaining a high growth rate is critical for raising the living conditions of the great majority of Indians and lowering their vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
• The National Action Plan is organised around eight “National Missions.” They promote climate change awareness, adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency, and natural resource conservation.
• The National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA):
• It is a part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in India. It includes initiatives like Soil Health Card, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission Organic Value Chain Development, Rainfed Area Development, National Bamboo Mission, and Agro-Forestry.
• The NMSA promotes sustainable agriculture through the adoption of eco-friendly technologies, energy efficiency, natural resource conservation, and integrated farming.
• It focuses on location-specific practices such as soil health management, water efficiency, judicious use of chemicals, and crop diversification.
• The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC):
• It was formed to cover the costs of climate change adaptation for Indian states and union territories that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
• This Scheme was to support real adaptation measures aimed at limiting the negative consequences of global climate change in a variety of industries, including agriculture.
• Climate-smart villages (CSV) :
• An institutional strategy for testing, implementing, modifying, and promoting CSA at the local level, as well as improving farmers’ ability to adapt to climate change.
• The CSV implements a portfolio of actions to address the agricultural sector’s climate issues, including the entire range of farm activities.
• PMSKY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna):
• This Scheme was designed and developed with the goal of prioritising water conservation and management in agriculture, to expand the area under irrigation.
• This Scheme’s principal motto is ‘Har Khet Ko Paani,’ which means “improved water use efficiency.”
• The ‘More crop per drop’ concept provides end-to-end water solutions for source generation, delivery networks, and administration.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY):
• The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a government-sponsored agriculture insurance programme.
• The scheme’s goal is to offer farmers financial assistance and risk reduction in the event of crop loss or damage caused by unforeseen events such as natural disasters, pests, or illnesses.
• National Water Mission (NWM):
• It was launched to ensure Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) for conserving water sources and minimising waste, as well as to increase Water Use Efficiency (WUE) by 20%, including the agriculture sector.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY):
• It is an extended component of Soil Health Management (SHM) launched in 2015 under NMSA to support and promote organic farming through the adoption of an organic village-by-cluster approach, which results in improved soil health.
• Biotech-KISAN :
• It is a scientist-farmer partnership initiative for agriculture innovation that was started in 2017 to connect science laboratories with farmers to identify creative ideas and technologies to be utilised at the farm level.
• As of 2021, 146 Biotech-KISAN Hubs have been built under this scheme, spanning all 15 agroclimatic zones and 110 aspirational districts in the country.
• Neem Coated Urea:
• This is a type of urea fertiliser that has been coated with neem-derived material.
• It serves as a gradual releaser of nitrogen, reducing insect and disease infestation and ultimately lowering the need for chemicals in farming by increasing crop production.
• Agro-forestry Sub-mission:
• This Mission was initiated in 2016-17 to plant trees on farm bunds.
• Agro-forestry has the potential to improve agricultural sustainability while simultaneously reaching maximum output by minimising the effects of climate change.
• National Livestock Mission:
• Launched in 2014-15 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, this mission focuses primarily on livestock development through a sustainable approach.
• Ultimately protecting the natural environment, ensuring bio-security, conserving animal bio-diversity, and farmers’ livelihood.

Looking Forward

• The first step is to identify the specific climatic risks, because a farm facing protracted water shortages, for example, will require different tactics than one facing frequent flooding.
• A new World Bank report, Future of Food: Shaping a Climate-Smart Global Food System, recommended that to advance climate-smart agriculture, it is crucial to ensure access to technologies for poor farmers, close the gender gap, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through improved fertilizer use, water management, and livestock practices.
• Policy support and integration: Governments should design and execute policies that support climate-smart agriculture and incorporate it into national agricultural strategies and plans.
• Knowledge and capacity building: Encourage farmers, extension workers, researchers, and policymakers to share their knowledge and increase their capabilities.
• Training programmes, farmer field schools, demonstration plots, and the use of digital technology to distribute information and best practices can help achieve this.
• Research and development: Invest in research and development to better understand the effects of climate change on agriculture and to create new solutions.
• This includes producing climate-resilient crop varieties, innovative cropping systems, and climate information services to help farmers make educated decisions.
• Climate-smart livestock production: Reduce the environmental impact of livestock production by encouraging sustainable livestock management practices.
• Improved feed efficiency, better waste management, and the use of climate-resilient cattle breeds are all part of this.
• Climate finance and investment: To support the adoption and expansion of climate-smart agriculture practises, there is a need to leverage public and private funds, develop innovative financing channels, and encourage financial institutions and farmers to form partnerships.
• Encourage collaboration among many stakeholders, such as farmers, government agencies, research institutions, civil society organisations, and the commercial sector.
• This can help to enable the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices, as well as push the scale-up of climate-smart agriculture.