Smart Technologies for Sustainable Smallholder Agriculture

Smart Technologies for Sustainable Smallholder Agriculture defines integrated climate smart agricultural technologies (ICSAT) as a suite of interconnected techniques and practices that enhance quantity and quality of agricultural products with minimum impact on the environment. These ICSAT are centered on three main pillars (a) increased production and income, (b) adaptation and resilience to climate change and (c) minimizing GHG emissions. This book brings ogether technologies contributing to the three pillars, explains the context in which they can be scaled up and identifies research and development gaps as areas requiring further investigation. The book stresses the urgency in critically analysing and recommending ICSAT and scaling out the efforts of both developing and disseminating these in an integrated manner. The book is presented in three sections. Section 1 defines the scope of and gives a background to climate smart agricultural technologies; section 2 describes the application of technologies mitigate and adapt to climate and weather extremes drawing examples from those technologies that are relevant to the sub-region and section 3 looks at the approaches to reach millions in dissemination of CSAT. Delivering Integrated Climate Smart Agricultural Technologies for Wider Utilization in Southern Africa takes stock of , discusses, synthesizes and offers alternative solutions to agriculture production systems and socio-economic development. It brings together biophysical and socioeconomic disciplines in evaluating suitable ICSAT to reduce poverty and food insecurity. Highlights the research gaps and opportunities on climate smart agricultural technologies and institutional arrangementsProvides information on institutional engagements that are inclusive of value chain actors which support partnerships and development of interactive platformsElaborates some of the effects of the climate extremes on production and socio-economic development of the small farms whose impact has potentially large impact