In many African countries, agriculture remains of central economic importance and provides the livelihood for many people. Time and again, however, farmers experience food deficits. The reason: climate change. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is intended to strengthen resilience to the climate crisis and secure food security. Agriculture becomes more climate-resilient, while farm productivity increases and negative environmental impacts are reduced. How well this works has now been analyzed by scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Development in Transformation Economies (IAMO).
Climate change has increased the vulnerability of African agriculture, the scientists say in a new publication. The possibilities for adaptation are, however, limited. For example, rainfall is often the only source of irrigation for cultivation. In the face of natural climate variability and human-caused climate change, agriculture in African states is often highly sensitive.
The IAMO has therefore investigated how the adoption of a total of eight possible CSA practices could reduce food scarcity among farming households in Morocco, Egypt and Senegal. Among these practices are methods to conserve soil moisture, manure slurry application, or adaptable seed varieties. Weather forecasts, direct sowing techniques, irrigation, breeding and harvest insurance are also part of CSA strategies.
If farmers adopt them, they should be able to manage the risks arising from climate change more effectively. The farms could produce more diversely and operate more productively in general, write the authors of the study. Adherence to CSA methods could further improve food security. It plays a special role, however, how many of the practices the farmers implement in each case.
At least four CSA practices must be implemented
That is: for the best outcome, farmers should implement several practices simultaneously. Three or fewer would hardly have any impact on food security. In this case, yields would still be largely determined by socioeconomic factors, such as farm size, available labor, and sources of income.
The scientists are calling for government funding programs for climate-resilient agriculture
Farmers who implement four or more CSA practices would, in contrast, notice tangible improvements in food security. “The study shows that tailor-made approaches that combine several CSA practices in a targeted way can not only increase the resilience of agricultural production in the context of climate change,” says Mawussi Kossivi Soviadan, a scientist at IAMO. The climate adaptation strategies would also contribute to the economic success of farming enterprises. This would positively affect the income and food security of agricultural operations.
The scientists agree: The application of CSA significantly increases food security in the studied countries. Therefore, there is a need for government funding programs for climate-resilient agriculture. The respective states should thus publicize the long-term benefits of CSA, support farmers with difficulties with new cropping methods, and help them deploy their labor more productively. For example, opportunities for hands-on learning should be created, such as farm field schools and agricultural training initiatives.
