This study examines the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and the integration of agroecology (AE) principles among Tanzanian smallholder farmers through a survey of 315 households. Findings indicate that while CSA adopters often incorporate multiple AE principles, their application varies depending on specific CSA practices. Key socioeconomic factors—including household head characteristics, household size, land ownership, training access, CSA interventions, and local initiatives—significantly influence adoption patterns. The study highlights that integrating diverse CSA practices strengthens alignment with AE principles, leading to improved farm income and fostering ecological-economic synergies. Emphasizing CSA and AE’s role in enhancing smallholder livelihoods and mitigating climate change, the research underscores the importance of horizontal knowledge sharing to promote integrated approaches.
Tag: climate-smart agriculture
Climate-smart villages: An innovative solution for building resilience in the North and Far North regions of Cameroon
Cameroon’s Far North and North regions are bearing the brunt of the increasing effects of climate variability. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts during the farming season, and flash floods and violent winds are rendering rural communities more vulnerable. These climatic hazards greatly reduce agricultural productivity, causing crop losses and worsening the vulnerability of rural households. In the face of these challenges, actions are needed to strengthen the resilience of local communities and enable them to adapt to the increasing effects of climate change.
Summary of learning exchanges and final report of the III GEF-IAP-FS Workshop (also available in French)
Potential of national and international policies and policy instrument in the development of agroforestry in Chad
Policy gaps and opportunities for scaling-up agroforestry in Africa: lessons from the Regreening Africa project
Making rural advisory services more climate smart – can community-based approaches help?
Info Note: What is the evidence-base for climate-smart agriculture in Tanzania?
Has the time come for the systematic improvement of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa)?
Data leaks to help create a climate-smart future
Agroforestry delivers a win-win solution for ecosystem services in sub-Saharan Africa. A meta-analysis
Agricultural landscapes are increasingly being managed with the aim of enhancing the provisioning of multiple ecosystem services and sustainability of production systems. However, agricultural management that maximizes provisioning ecosystem services can often reduce both regulating and maintenance services. We hypothesized that agroforestry reduces trade-offs between provisioning and regulating/maintenance services. We conducted a quantitative synthesis of studies carried out in sub-Saharan Africa focusing on crop yield (as an indicator of provisioning services), soil fertility, erosion control, and water regulation (as indicators of regulating/maintenance services). A total of 1106 observations were extracted from 126 peer-reviewed publications that fulfilled the selection criteria for meta-analysis of studies comparing agroforestry and non-agroforestry practices (hereafter control) in sub-Saharan Africa. Across ecological conditions, agroforestry significantly increased crop yield, total soil nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and available phosphorus compared to the control. Agroforestry practices also reduced runoff and soil loss and improved infiltration rates and soil moisture content. No significant differences were detected between the different ecological conditions, management regimes, and types of woody perennials for any of the ecosystem services. Main trade-offs included low available phosphorus and low soil moisture against higher crop yield. This is the first meta-analysis that shows that, on average, agroforestry systems in sub-Saharan Africa increase crop yield while maintaining delivery of regulating/maintenance ecosystem services. We also demonstrate how woody perennials have been managed in agricultural landscapes to provide multiple ecosystem services without sacrificing crop productivity. This is important in rural livelihoods where the range of ecosystem services conveys benefits in terms of food security and resilience to environmental shocks.