ABSTRACT
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has been proposed as a solution to the challenges of food insecurity and climate change in Southern Africa. Numerous technologies and programmes have been undertaken in the region to demonstrate and upscale promising CSA approaches. Some of the technologies identified by experts as climate smart across the five Southern African countries and 22 distinct production systems include conservation agriculture, improved and drought- tolerant breeds, water harvesting, biogas harnessing and integrated soil fertility management. The CSA approach has the potential to transform agriculture in the region by unlocking the triple wins of higher yields, improved resilience and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In order to scale-up CSA to achieve agricultural transformation, policymakers should address the key barriers and opportunities that limit scaling up. Emerging insights suggest that prioritizing climate-smart investments, capacity building, mainstreaming CSA into policies and programmes, institutions and partnerships, CSA financing, moving beyond a farm to landscapes and monitoring and evaluation systems are key elements that policymakers should address to support CSA scaling in the region.
