What is Climate-Smart Agriculture?
Climate-smart agriculture can be defined as an approach to transforming and reorienting agricultural development under the new realities of climate change. It is an integrated approach to managing agriculture that helps guide actions to transform agricultural systems towards green and climate-resilient practices. Climate-smart agriculture addresses the shared challenges of food security and the accelerated change in the climate. Climate-smart agriculture is commonly known as agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
How can Climate-Smart Agriculture be achieved?
Several practices can be adopted to achieve the objectives of climate-smart agriculture. The following practices can be implemented to increase productivity, enhance resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
- Plant climate-resilient crops
- Prioritise soil health improving practices to reduce the need for inorganic fertilisers
- Minimise tillage
- Improve soil cover
- Improve water retention in soil
- Make use of renewable energy technologies
- Improve the efficiency of fossil fuel-based energy
- Reduce the production of waste
- Promote regenerative agriculture
- Improve usage of water
- Reduce evaporation