3
of Shared Ambition for climate-smart agriculture and a subsequent Action Plan by
the corporate members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
(WBCSD 2015). What’s more, non-governmental and some civil society organisations have formed complementary advocacy groups, such as the Alliance for
Climate-Smart Agriculture in Africa (ACSAA) that includes international nongovernmental organizations, policy institutions, technical partners and farmers
groups.
The responses to these large commitments of strategic and financial support have
been substantial. Hundreds of technological solutions have already been identified
as climate-smart because they mitigate the effects of rising temperatures and variable rainfall; or contribute to a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; or
accumulate carbon in biomass or soils (Table 1.1). New varieties of crops with
greater drought tolerance are already in production, and more are being released
each year (Challinor et al. 2016). Many land management systems conserve soil
moisture (Thierfelder et al. 2017). Agroforestry systems reduce the ambient temperature of nearby crops and livestock (Lin 2007; Barton et al. 2016). Feeding strategies that increase productivity and reduce GHG emissions from livestock are well
known (Bryan et al. 2013; Thornton and Herrero 2010). And information delivery
systems help farmers to plan the right period(s) to plant.
Indeed, ‘climate-smart’ has bordered on becoming a brand. Carried to the
extreme, today there are now climate-smart extension systems, climate-smart
finance, climate-smart landscapes, climate-smart livestock, climate-smart soils, and
climate-smart varieties etc. (Gledhill et al. 2012; Graefe et al. 2016; Minang et al.
2014; Paustian et al. 2016; Sala et al. 2016).
Whereas many technologies are available to help farmers better cope with climate risks, improving farmers’ access to these technologies, while strengthening
incentives around their adoption, remains the more significant challenge. Despite
millions of dollars of investment, adoption rates of new agricultural technologies in
much of eastern and southern Africa remain low (Giller et al. 2009; Asfaw et al.
2016). The majority of farmers continue to struggle with the costs and risks of new
technologies. Increasing climate risks simply make these efforts more difficult.
This volume highlights current efforts being made by scientists in eastern and
southern Africa in developing and disseminating climate-smart agriculture (CSA)
technologies. Emphasis was placed on getting previously unpublished data written
up and presented. Unlike many edited volumes, the book started with an open call
for chapters on five key topics. More than 70 applications were submitted and evaluated against the criteria, which included: relevance of the topic, whether new data
were being presented, and the quality of the science. Twenty-three applications
were selected to move on to full chapter development. Twelve specific contributions
were then commissioned by the book’s editors to fill gaps in the discussion. After at
least two technical reviews and multiple rounds of revision, 25 of these papers were
accepted for publication within this volume. Unpublished chapters, which still contain important content for development, can be found on the webpage that accompanies this book.
1 An Introduction to the Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers
of Shared Ambition for climate-smart agriculture and a subsequent Action Plan by
the corporate members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
(WBCSD 2015). What’s more, non-governmental and some civil society organisations have formed complementary advocacy groups, such as the Alliance for
Climate-Smart Agriculture in Africa (ACSAA) that includes international nongovernmental organizations, policy institutions, technical partners and farmers
groups.
The responses to these large commitments of strategic and financial support have
been substantial. Hundreds of technological solutions have already been identified
as climate-smart because they mitigate the effects of rising temperatures and variable rainfall; or contribute to a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; or
accumulate carbon in biomass or soils (Table 1.1). New varieties of crops with
greater drought tolerance are already in production, and more are being released
each year (Challinor et al. 2016). Many land management systems conserve soil
moisture (Thierfelder et al. 2017). Agroforestry systems reduce the ambient temperature of nearby crops and livestock (Lin 2007; Barton et al. 2016). Feeding strategies that increase productivity and reduce GHG emissions from livestock are well
known (Bryan et al. 2013; Thornton and Herrero 2010). And information delivery
systems help farmers to plan the right period(s) to plant.
Indeed, ‘climate-smart’ has bordered on becoming a brand. Carried to the
extreme, today there are now climate-smart extension systems, climate-smart
finance, climate-smart landscapes, climate-smart livestock, climate-smart soils, and
climate-smart varieties etc. (Gledhill et al. 2012; Graefe et al. 2016; Minang et al.
2014; Paustian et al. 2016; Sala et al. 2016).
Whereas many technologies are available to help farmers better cope with climate risks, improving farmers’ access to these technologies, while strengthening
incentives around their adoption, remains the more significant challenge. Despite
millions of dollars of investment, adoption rates of new agricultural technologies in
much of eastern and southern Africa remain low (Giller et al. 2009; Asfaw et al.
2016). The majority of farmers continue to struggle with the costs and risks of new
technologies. Increasing climate risks simply make these efforts more difficult.
This volume highlights current efforts being made by scientists in eastern and
southern Africa in developing and disseminating climate-smart agriculture (CSA)
technologies. Emphasis was placed on getting previously unpublished data written
up and presented. Unlike many edited volumes, the book started with an open call
for chapters on five key topics. More than 70 applications were submitted and evaluated against the criteria, which included: relevance of the topic, whether new data
were being presented, and the quality of the science. Twenty-three applications
were selected to move on to full chapter development. Twelve specific contributions
were then commissioned by the book’s editors to fill gaps in the discussion. After at
least two technical reviews and multiple rounds of revision, 25 of these papers were
accepted for publication within this volume. Unpublished chapters, which still contain important content for development, can be found on the webpage that accompanies this book.
1 An Introduction to the Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers