IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i17p9909-d628274.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluating Climate-Smart Agriculture as Route to Building Climate Resilience in African Food Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew J. Dougill

    (School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Thirze D. G. Hermans

    (School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Samuel Eze

    (School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Philip Antwi-Agyei

    (Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00000, Ghana)

  • Susannah M. Sallu

    (School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

Abstract

Efforts to meet the growing demand for food across Africa have led to unsustainable land management practices that weaken the resilience of African Food Systems. Soil health is key to building more climate-resilient agricultural systems and can be improved through Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices that also enhance soil carbon storage. Many CSA practices are being implemented by African farmers, whereas others are being actively promoted but adoption remains low due to multiple factors including weak policy integration, limited institutional support, and inadequate agricultural extension advice. This Short Communications paper presents overview findings from trans-disciplinary research projects from Southern, East, and West Africa to evaluate the potential importance of integrated participatory soil health studies designed to inform context-specific recommendations and policies for resilient African food systems. The use of soil health indicators to measure the effectiveness of implemented CSA practices including Conservation Agriculture in maize-based systems and Soil and Water Conservation in Highland African systems are discussed. The paper identifies how more integrated research can help to enable shared learning and the enhanced knowledge exchange required for the upscaling of sustainable land management practices enabled through enhanced farmer participation in the chain of CSA activities from intervention design to community evaluation of impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew J. Dougill & Thirze D. G. Hermans & Samuel Eze & Philip Antwi-Agyei & Susannah M. Sallu, 2021. "Evaluating Climate-Smart Agriculture as Route to Building Climate Resilience in African Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-8, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9909-:d:628274
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9909/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9909/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cyrille Rigolot, 2020. "Transdisciplinarity as a discipline and a way of being: complementarities and creative tensions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-5, December.
    2. Samuel T. Partey & Angela D. Dakorah & Robert B. Zougmoré & Mathieu Ouédraogo & Mary Nyasimi & Gordon K. Nikoi & Sophia Huyer, 2020. "Gender and climate risk management: evidence of climate information use in Ghana," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(1), pages 61-75, January.
    3. Katharine Vincent & Andrew J. Dougill & Jami L. Dixon & Lindsay C. Stringer & Tracy Cull, 2017. "Identifying climate services needs for national planning: insights from Malawi," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 189-202, February.
    4. Jew, Eleanor K.K. & Whitfield, Stephen & Dougill, Andrew J. & Mkwambisi, David D. & Steward, Peter, 2020. "Farming systems and Conservation Agriculture: Technology, structures and agency in Malawi," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abyiot Teklu & Belay Simane & Mintewab Bezabih, 2023. "Effect of Climate Smart Agriculture Innovations on Climate Resilience among Smallholder Farmers: Empirical Evidence from the Choke Mountain Watershed of the Blue Nile Highlands of Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-26, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert B. Zougmoré & Samuel T. Partey, 2022. "Gender Perspectives of ICT Utilization in Agriculture and Climate Response in West Africa: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Tek Bahadur Sapkota & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Hom Nath Gartaula & Clare Stirling, 2022. "Gender and climate change adaptation: A case of Ethiopian farmers," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(3), pages 263-288, August.
    3. Ar. R. T. Hidayat & Corinthias P. M. Sianipar & Shizuka Hashimoto & Satoshi Hoshino & Muhammad Dimyati & Ahmad E. Yustika, 2023. "Personal Cognition and Implicit Constructs Affecting Preferential Decisions on Farmland Ownership: Multiple Case Studies in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, September.
    4. Cyrille Rigolot, 2021. "Organizing and better understanding transdisciplinarity in the context of artificial intelligence expansion: a crucial role for the new alliance between economics and engineering," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(4), pages 615-620, December.
    5. Nie, Fei & Li, Jian & Bi, Xiang, 2020. "Agricultural Trade Liberalization and Domestic Fertilizer Use: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in China," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304213, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Harold L. W. Chisale & Paxie W. Chirwa & Folaranmi D. Babalola & Samuel O. M. Manda, 2021. "Perceived Effects of Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events on Forests and Forest-Based Livelihoods in Malawi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-15, October.
    7. Viola Hakkarainen & Katri Mäkinen‐Rostedt & Andra Horcea‐Milcu & Dalia D'Amato & Johanna Jämsä & Katriina Soini, 2022. "Transdisciplinary research in natural resources management: Towards an integrative and transformative use of co‐concepts," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 309-325, April.
    8. Naser Valizadeh & Latif Haji & Masoud Bijani & Negin Fallah Haghighi & Mahsa Fatemi & Ants-Hannes Viira & Yenny Katherine Parra-Acosta & Alishir Kurban & Hossein Azadi, 2021. "Development of a Scale to Remove Farmers’ Sustainability Barriers to Meteorological Information in Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-18, November.
    9. Nguru, Wilson & Abera, Wuletawu & Ouedraogo, Issa & Chege, Christine & Kane, Babacar & Bougouma, Katiana & Mwongera, Caroline, 2023. "Spatial estimation of flood residual water cultivation (FRWC) potential for food security in Sédhiou and Tambacounda regions of Sénégal," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    10. Alare, Rahinatu S. & Lawson, Elaine T. & Mensah, Adelina & Yevide, Armand & Adiku, Prosper, 2022. "Assessing nuanced social networks and its implication for climate change adaptation in northwestern Ghana," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    11. Dénis B. Akouwerabou, 2023. "Effect of agricultural extension on cotton farmer's efficiency in arid and semi‐arid areas of Burkina Faso," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(1), pages 42-59, February.
    12. Everisto Mapedza & Sophia Huyer & Nitya Chanana & Alison Rose & Inga Jacobs-Mata & Netsayi Noris Mudege & Sabine Homann-Kee Tui & Sika Gbegbelegbe & Gloriose Nsengiyumva & Munyaradzi Mutenje & Ngowena, 2022. "Framework for Incorporating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Elements in Climate Information Services (CIS)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    13. Sergio Mariotti, 2021. "Forging a new alliance between economics and engineering," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(4), pages 551-572, December.
    14. Tessa Bonincontro & Juliette Cerceau & Florian Tena-Chollet & Sylvia Becerra, 2024. "From unseen to seen in post-mining polluted territories: (in)visibilisation processes at work in soil contamination management," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    15. R. S. Clements & S. K. Birthisel & A. Daigneault & E. Gallandt & D. Johnson & T. Wentworth & M. T. Niles, 2021. "Climate change in the context of whole-farming systems: opportunities for improved outreach," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 1-20, June.
    16. Nguyen The Manh & Mokbul Morshed Ahmad, 2021. "Indigenous farmers' perception of climate change and the use of local knowledge to adapt to climate variability: A case study of Vietnam," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(7), pages 1189-1212, October.
    17. Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu & Martin Henseler & Helene Maisonnave & Ramos Mabugu, 2023. "Climate Change and Women - Impacts and Adaptation," Post-Print hal-04072199, HAL.
    18. Xufang Zhang & Minghua Zhao & Xiaojie Wang & Rongqing Han, 2022. "Regional Differences of Farmers’ Willingness to Grow Grain and Its Influencing Factors in Shandong Province under the Background of New-Type Urbanization," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-21, August.
    19. Milo Costanza-van den Belt & Tayanah O’Donnell & Robert Webb & Eleanor Robson & Robert Costanza & Jiaqian Ling & Sarah Crowe & Hao Han, 2021. "Community Preferences for Urban Systems Transformation in Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-23, April.
    20. Joyashree Roy & Anjal Prakash & Shreya Some & Chandni Singh & Rachel Bezner Kerr & Martina Angela Caretta & Cecilia Conde & Marta Rivera Ferre & Corinne Schuster-Wallace & Maria Cristina Tirado-von de, 2022. "Synergies and trade-offs between climate change adaptation options and gender equality: a review of the global literature," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9909-:d:628274. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.