Simple steps to climate-proof farms have big potential upside for tropical farmers

©IFAD/Radhika Chalasani
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices have the potential to simultaneously boost yields, build resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly for communities whose livelihoods are already under threat from climate change.

A new study published by the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture and funded by IFAD attempted to ascertain the factors that influence the limited adaptation practices across sites in Uganda, Vietnam and Nicaragua. The researchers conducted household surveys at the sites of ASAP projects in the countries, tabulated levels of CSA adoption, created a cost-benefit analysis for widespread CSA implementation and projected potential adoption levels at each site.

Despite finding that the selected CSA practices had high potential adoption and return rates, uptake at most of the research sites was low. Obstacles include reluctance to abandon habitual farming techniques, labour constraints and a lack of access to finance.

"Engaging multiple stakeholders, including the private sector, is crucial in ensuring the widespread and sustained implementation of climate-resilient strategies," said Margarita Astralaga, the Director of the Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division at IFAD.

The main findings of the study revealed great variations in terms of profitability among the range of CSA interventions across scales. Depending on the context (e.g. household composition, crop typologies, markets, access to inputs), the profitability of similar practices can vary greatly. Socioeconomic factors in conjunction with the costs and benefits of practices greatly influence adoption rates. High return rates at the farm level may not necessarily apply at larger scales, for example at the community level.

Le Lan, a researcher at the University of Western Australia and the study’s lead author, said successful CSA interventions by governments and development agencies need to seek “the greatest aggregated benefit to the community” and not just potential gain for individual farmers. “In addition, if the area suffers from extreme climate events, targeted assistance must consider the socioeconomic and cultural realities of farmer groups if the practices are to be widely adopted.”

To find out more, you can find the report here.