Climate-smart agriculture
The world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. To feed this population, food production must increase by an estimated 70 percent. Agriculture is key to addressing these challenges. At the same time, agriculture must adapt to climate change and help mitigate climate impacts.
The Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) approach simultaneously addresses food security and climate change, while contributing to greenhouse gas mitigation.
FAO advocates this integrated approach at the national level by supporting governments in developing CSA approaches, providing policy-relevant evidence and tools, assisting in the design of national climate change adaptation plans, and supporting access to climate finance.
At the international level, FAO provides policy advice to inter-governmental processes (e.g. UNFCCC) and plays a unique role in raising awareness of the importance of agriculture in achieving food security under the new realities of climate change and population pressure.
Key messages
A CSA approach to agricultural policy making can be a major driver to achieve this.
It provides the means for integrating the specificities of adaptation and mitigation into sustainable agricultural development policies, programmes and investments.
As such, they require a process of analysis and consultation to identify what will work in which context to sustainably improve food security.
It capitalizes on potential synergies, reduces trade-offs and optimizes the use of natural resources and ecosystem services.
Mediating key trade-offs and enhancing synergies between the principles of sustainable agriculture and their associated indicators implies iterative processes of bargaining between different actors and sectors, and active coalition building. Governance arrangements that facilitate effective and inclusive dialogue between stakeholders, including governments, private sector and civil society, and make a concerted effort to ensure that the voices of the poor and marginalised are heard, are critical for sustainable agriculture.
Featured resources
Climate-smart policies to enhance Egypt's agrifood system performance and sustainability
2023
Highly vulnerable to climate change, Egypt is being increasingly affected by heat waves that disrupt food security. Having tested climate smart agriculture...
Agrifood solutions to climate change - FAO's work to tackle the climate crisis
2023
Amid a worsening climate crisis and slow progress in cutting greenhouse gases, sustainable agrifood systems practices can help countries and communities...
Using EX-ACT to estimate the mitigation potential of agricultural interventions
2023
This e-learning course guides learners on how to use the Ex-Ante Carbon-balance Tool (EX-ACT) to quantify the climate change mitigation potential of...
Climate-smart agriculture in China. From policy to investment
2023
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a comprehensive system that requires thorough consideration of local climate, natural environment, market demand,...
Leveraging COVID-19 recovery strategies to build climate-smart agrifood systems in developing countries
2022
Building on the efforts to redress the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the objective of this report is to provide an overview of the current...
Crops and climate change impact briefs. Crops and climate change impact briefs. Climate-smart agriculture for more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems.
2022
This series of technical briefs aims to provide a solid knowledge base for building or strengthening stakeholder capacities on climate-smart agriculture...
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Ex-Ante Carbon balance Tool
2022
This document presents the methodology used to build the EX-Ante Carbon Balance Tool version 9 (EX-ACT). It describes in detail the main logic behind...
EX-Ante Carbon Balance Tool (EX-ACT), new version
2022
The Ex-Ante Carbon-balance Tool (EX-ACT) aims at providing guidance in estimating the value of nature’s contribution to people in the form of greenhouse...
Assessing the profitability and feasibility of climate-smart agriculture investment in Southern Malawi - Understanding the costs and benefits in a volatile and changing climate
2021
This working paper analyses the financial cost and benefit of adopting two different bundles of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices, which are...
Building climate-resilient dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral production systems. An approach for context-dependent economic, social and environmentally sustainable transformations
2021
With climate change impacts already felt in the world’s drylands, there is an urgent need for action, at various scales and initiated by different stakeholders,...
Rice self-sufficiency in Rwanda: policies to ensure it does not remain an elusive goal. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Policy Brief 37
2021
This policy brief presents a snapshot review of how key policies have affected rice in Rwanda in the run up to the Government of Rwanda’s target to...
Food systems transformation. Transforming agri-food systems using climate-smart approaches to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic
2021
This action sheet is part of a series of action sheets developed under the seven key priority areas of the FAO COVID-19 Response and Recovery programme,...
Using climate services in adaptation planning for the agriculture sectors. Briefing note, December 2020
2021
This brief provides an overview of Climate Services (CS) and how they can be used to assess risk and optimize adaptation decision-making in the agriculture...
Leveraging social protection to advance climate-smart agriculture: evidence from Malawi. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Working Paper 21-04
2021
In many developing countries the adoption of climate sustainable practices is hindered by resource and risk barriers. This paper assesses the interactions...
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Measuring progress towards sustainable agriculture
2021
This paper presents a new methodological approach aimed at measuring progress towards sustainable agriculture in countries and across agrifood systems...
Public expenditure analysis for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agricultural sector – A case study of Uganda
2021
This paper presents a methodology for public expenditure review and analysis for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agricultural sector....
Supporting climate adaptation in smallholder agriculture - Summarizing lessons learnt
2020
Supporting smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change is essential for eliminating hunger and poverty. This will require policies and programs that...
Biodiversity Integrated Assessment and Computation Tool | B-INTACT (Guidelines)
2020
Biodiversity loss is accelerating at an unprecedented rate across the planet putting a great number of species on the brink of extinction. A decline...
The dual threat of extreme weather and the COVID-19 crisis: Anticipating the impacts on food availability
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound negative effect on the global economy and is occurring in the context of a rapidly changing climate. This...
Drought adaptation practices and profits in Sri Lanka’s rice sector: what is the missing link? FAO Agricultural Development Economics Policy Brief 22
2020
It is projected that climate change will affect rainfall patterns in South Asia and will contribute to a decline in water availability for rice cultivation...
FAO Policy Series: Climate-smart agriculture
06/07/2016
Romina Cavatassi and Aslihan Arslan, Natural Resource Economists of the FAO Agricultural Development Economics Division explain how Climate Smart Agriculture...
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