Summary
This review examines climate-smart agriculture as a comprehensive strategy to address the dual challenge of climate change mitigation and food security enhancement. The analysis reveals that whilst nitrogen use efficiency has improved in developed countries, global performance remains suboptimal at 55.47%, and that integrating multiple CSA practices yields greater benefits than single-practice implementation. The authors emphasise that widespread adoption requires addressing socio-economic and technological barriers through supportive policies, financial incentives, and capacity-building, alongside a transition from sustainability toward regenerative agricultural practices to restore degraded soils and enhance long-term resilience.
UK applicability
The review's findings on precision nutrient management, regenerative agriculture, and agroforestry are broadly relevant to UK farming policy and practice. UK-specific application would benefit from site-specific adaptation strategies and alignment with existing policy frameworks such as the Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme and Environmental Land Management schemes.
Key measures
Nitrogen use efficiency (global average 55.47%), soil degradation status (40% of agricultural land), GHG emissions reduction potential, soil health indicators, crop productivity improvements, carbon sequestration rates
Outcomes reported
The review assessed how climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices enhance crop productivity, build climate resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It evaluated the effectiveness of precision agriculture, regenerative agriculture, biochar application, and agroforestry in improving soil health and food security.
Topic tags
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