African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services

CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE (CSA) THROUGH EXTENSION AND ADVISORY SERVICES THAT DELIVERS FOR PEOPLE, CLIMATE AND NATURE IN AFRICA: POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

Climate change is having a devastating impact on Africa, with extreme weather events costing the continent an estimated $50 billion annually by 2050. However, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) offers low-cost, eco-friendly, and integrated solutions to transform and reorient African agriculture production systems in the face of climate change. The CSA action will help to i) boost agricultural production and productivity, ii) increase farmers’ incomes, iii) promote sustainable development, and iv) adapt to build resilience to climate change at all levels (regional, national, and farm levels). The CSA is a win-win solution that can help address the challenges of climate change while improving food security and livelihoods in Africa. This policy brief provides four specific recommendations and strategic action areas for institutional and policy reforms that are required to translate the information and knowledge into relevant combinations of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) options for agricultural education and advisory services (AEAS) pathways in Africa