The Africa Agriculture Status Report 2014: climate change and smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa
The Africa Agriculture Status Report 2014 (PDF) presents a comprehensive overview of smallholder agriculture in Africa and addresses the ‘climate-smart agricultural’ (CSA) sector in the continent. The role of soil fertility and plant nutrition in strengthening the vigor of farming systems and make them less vulnerable to climate change is explicitly addressed in this report. In addition, the possibilities and limitations of the various farming systems are illustrated and analyzed. It also highlights the many differences between systems and how they may be improved such that smallholder farmers can both adapt to a changing climate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Proposed solution-oriented actions include: 1. promote climate-smart, context-driven agro-ecological approaches and solutions; 2. strengthen national and local institutions; 3. build technical capacity and improve knowledge management systems; 4. raise the level of national investments in agriculture; and 5. create innovative financing mechanisms.