USAID’s Climate Smart Agriculture Uptake Study

USAID’s Climate Smart Agriculture Uptake Study

For USAID’s Africa Bureau, Integra conducted a study on the barriers to and incentives for African farmers to adopt Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices. Climate Smart Agriculture refers to the suite of practices or approaches that sustainably increase agricultural productivity, adapt and build resilience to climate change in agricultural systems, and/or reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. There are hundreds of CSA practices, and the most well-known include drip irrigation, no-till farming, and the use of weather information systems to make planting decisions. Donor agencies and governments have been promoting these and similar practices to African farmers for years, with mixed results.

Integra assessed the status of CSA uptake, and gathered information on known barriers to the adoption of CSA practices and effective incentives for encouraging their uptake. This was done through an in-depth literature review, interviews with key actors in both Africa and the United States, and through two field-based case studies in different regions of Africa. The information was rigorously analyzed, and, by working with USAID, Integra developed recommendations for future programming.

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