Integrating Climate-Smart Strategies into Farming Systems: Implications for Sustainability and Resilience

Moseb Mamasao; Aldrees Ansary Guro; Rasmiah Mama

doi:10.47134/jees.v3i3.1154

Authors

Moseb Mamasao Department of Plant Science, College of Agriculture, Mindanao State University-Main Campus, Marawi City, Philippines
Aldrees Ansary Guro Department of Agribusiness Management, College of Agriculture, Mindanao State University-Main Campus, Marawi City, Philippines
Rasmiah Mama Department of Agribusiness Management, College of Agriculture, Mindanao State University-Main Campus, Marawi City, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47134/jees.v3i3.1154

Keywords:

Climate-Smart Agriculture, Sustainable Farming, Climate Resilience, Food Security, Climate Change Adaptation

Abstract

Global agriculture faces the dual challenge of feeding a projected 10 billion people by 2050 while mitigating substantial greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to severe climate vulnerabilities. While Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) addresses these pressures, most research examines single practices in isolation, missing the critical interactions of whole-farm integration. This study synthesizes existing evidence on integrating multiple climate-smart strategies, identifies knowledge gaps regarding multi-practice adoption, and evaluates the implications for long-term agricultural sustainability and resilience. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted, analyzing 38 peer-reviewed articles, official government reports, and institutional publications published between 2013 and 2026 using thematic analysis. Modern farming requires an integrated approach that combines sustainable intensification, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and integrated water management. Bundling these practices enhances soil carbon sequestration and buffers against extreme weather. However, adoption is severely restricted by top-down mandates, inadequate extension services, and a massive global climate financing deficit. Technical innovations remain ineffective without localized adaptability and matching socio-economic reforms. Achieving genuine climate resilience demands transitioning from isolated technical fixes to a unified farming system framework. Policymakers must support this shift through innovative carbon market financing, secure land tenure, and decentralized digital extension services, while future research prioritizes multidimensional impact evaluations to ensure permanent sustainability

References

Ali, M. M., Ahmad, B., Bari, M. S., Pal, A. C., Rahman, M. L., & Sarmin, I. J. (2024). An assessment of agroforestry as a climate‐smart practice: Evidences from farmers of northwestern region of Bangladesh. Agrosystems Geosciences & Environment, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20501

Ali, M. M., Pal, A. C., Bari, M. S., Rahman, M. L., & Sarmin, I. J. (2024). Agroforestry as a Climate-Smart Strategy: Examining the Factors Affecting Farmers’ Adoption. Biology and Life Science Forum, 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/iocag2023-17340

Azadi, H., Moghaddam, S. M., Burkart, S., Mahmoudi, H., Van Passel, S., Kurban, A., & Lopez-Carr, D. (2021). Rethinking resilient agriculture: From Climate-Smart Agriculture to Vulnerable-Smart Agriculture. Journal of Cleaner Production, 319, 128602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128602

Cabangbang, R. P. M., Espaldon, M. V. O., Mendoza, H. D., Lacson, J. A. M., Ducusin, R. J. C., Eslava, D. F., Dorado, M. A., Ballaran, V. G. Jr., Ebuenga, M. D., Khan, C. L., Salazar, B. M., Protacio, C. M., Aguilar, E. A., & Bato, V. A. Jr. (2019). Paving the pathway for climate smart agriculture among small scale farmers in the Philippines. In Y. Shirato & A. Hasebe (Eds.), Climate Smart Agriculture for the Small-Scale Farmers in the Asian and Pacific Region (pp. 227–240). NARO. https://orcid.org/10.1360/9652-6983-076

Chandra, A., Dargusch, P., McNamara, K. E., Caspe, A. M., & Dalabajan, D. (2017). A study of Climate-Smart farming Practices and Climate-resiliency field schools in Mindanao, the Philippines. World Development, 98, 214–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.04.028

Chandra, A., McNamara, K. E., & Dargusch, P. (2017). Climate-smart agriculture: perspectives and framings. Climate Policy, 18(4), 526–541. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2017.1316968

Denning, G. (2025). Sustainable intensification of agriculture: the foundation for universal food security. Npj Sustainable Agriculture, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-025-00047-3

Divyasri, R., & Mansingh, P. J. (2026). Mapping climate smart agricultural interventions in rice cultivation: a lexicometric and systematic review of methane emissions and yield outcomes. Frontiers in Climate, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2026.1779948

DOST-PCAARRD. (2019). Paving pathways for climate-smart agriculture (CSA): The case of smarter approaches to reinvigorate agriculture as an industry in the Philippines (Project SARAI). Food and Fertilizer Technology Center. https://www.naro.go.jp/english/laboratory/niaes/files/fftc-marco_book2019_227.pdf

DOST-PCAARRD. (2019). Role of women in developing climate-smart seed systems in the Philippines (Policy brief). Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development. https://www.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph

Dougill, A. J., Hermans, T. D. G., Eze, S., Antwi-Agyei, P., & Sallu, S. M. (2021). Evaluating Climate-Smart Agriculture as Route to Building Climate Resilience in African Food Systems. Sustainability, 13(17), 9909. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179909

El Chami, D., Daccache, A., El Moujabber, M. (2020). How can sustainable agriculture increase climate resilience? A systematic review. Sustainability, 12(8), 3119.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025). Greenhouse gas emissions from agrifood systems: Global, regional and country trends, 2001–2023. FAO Statistical Highlights. https://www.fao.org/statistics/highlights-archive/highlights-detail/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-agrifood-systems.-global--regional-and-country-trends--2001-2023/en

Food and Agriculture Organization. (2023). Latest IPCC report highlights the critical need to transform agrifood systems. FAO Newsroom.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2023). Climate change 2023: Synthesis report. IPCC.

Kabato, W., Getnet, G. T., Sinore, T., Nemeth, A., & Molnár, Z. (2025). Towards Climate-Smart Agriculture: strategies for sustainable agricultural production, food security, and greenhouse gas reduction. Agronomy, 15(3), 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030565

Karahanli, E., & Mutlu, C. (2025). Climate change impacts and the importance of integrated water management. MEMBA Su Bilimleri Dergisi, 11(3), 346–360. https://doi.org/10.58626/memba.1744277

Keprate, A., Bhardwaj, D. R., Sharma, P., Verma, K., Abbas, G., Sharma, V., Sharma, K., & Janju, S. (2024). Climate resilient agroforestry systems for sustainable land use and livelihood. In World sustainability series (pp. 141–161). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63430-7_7

Lipper, L., & Zilberman, D. (2017). A short history of the evolution of the climate smart agriculture approach and its links to climate change and sustainable agriculture debates. In Climate smart agriculture: Building resilience to climate change (pp. 13-30). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Lipper, L., Thornton, P., Campbell, B. M., Baedeker, T., Braimoh, A., Bwalya, M., Caron, P., Cattaneo, A., Garrity, D., Henry, K., Hottle, R., Jackson, L., Jarvis, A., Kossam, F., Mann, W., McCarthy, N., Meybeck, A., Neufeldt, H., Remington, T., Torquebiau, E. F. (2014). Climate-smart agriculture for food security. Nature Climate Change, 4(12), 1068–1072. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2437

Madrewar, S. S., Dhinwa, S., Sah, S., Bhosale, V. S., & Gumphekar, A. M. (2024). Evaluating climate-smart agriculture: Effects on productivity, sustainability and farmer resilience in India. International Journal of Integrative Research, 2(9), 741–760. https://doi.org/10.59890/z3net383

Mbow, C., Smith, P., Skole, D., Duguma, L., & Bustamante, M. (2013). Achieving mitigation and adaptation to climate change through sustainable agroforestry practices in Africa. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 6, 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2013.09.002

Pancholi, R., Yadav, R., Gupta, H., Vasure, N., Choudhary, S., Singh, M. N., & Rastogi, M. (2023). The role of agroforestry systems in enhancing climate resilience and sustainability: A review. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 13(11), 4342–4353. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2023/v13i113615

Pretty, J. (2018). Intensification for redesigned and sustainable agricultural systems. Science, 362(6417). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav0294

Pretty, J., Benton, T. G., Bharucha, Z. P., Dicks, L. V., Flora, C. B., Godfray, H. C. J., Wratten, S. (2018). Global assessment of agricultural system redesign for sustainable intensification. Nature Sustainability, 1(8), 441-446.

Raman, R., & Balasubramani, N. (Eds.). (2025). Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, India. This e-book is a compilation of resource materials obtained from various subject experts in the collaborative online training programme on “Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies” which was conducted from, 16-18.

Reich, J., Paul, S. S., & Snapp, S. S. (2021). Highly variable performance of sustainable intensification on smallholder farms: A systematic review. Global Food Security, 30, 100553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100553

Rockström, J., Williams, J., Daily, G., Noble, A., Matthews, N., Gordon, L., & Smith, J. (2017). Sustainable intensification of agriculture for human prosperity and global sustainability. Ambio, 46(1), 4-17.

Rodríguez, B. C., Durán-Zuazo, V. H., Rodríguez, M. S., García-Tejero, I. F., Ruiz, B. G., & Tavira, S. C. (2022). Conservation Agriculture as a Sustainable System for Soil Health: A review. Soil Systems, 6(4), 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems6040087

Rosenstock, T. S., Nowak, A., & Girvetz, E. (Eds.). (2019). The climate-smart agriculture papers: Investigating the business of a productive, resilient and low emission future. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92798-5

Rosenzweig, C., Elliott, J., Deryng, D., Ruane, A. C., Müller, C., Arneth, A., Boote, K. J., Folberth, C., Glotter, M., Khabarov, N., Neumann, K., Piontek, F., Pugh, T. a. M., Schmid, E., Stehfest, E., Yang, H., & Jones, J. W. (2013). Assessing agricultural risks of climate change in the 21st century in a global gridded crop model intercomparison. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(9), 3268–3273. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1222463110

Staniszewski, J., Guth, M., & Smędzik-Ambroży, K. (2023). Structural conditions of the sustainable intensification of agriculture in the regions of the European Union. Journal of Cleaner Production, 389, 136109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136109

Vanlauwe, B., Bationo, A., Chianu, J., Giller, K., Merckx, R., Mokwunye, U., Ohiokpehai, O., Pypers, P., Tabo, R., Shepherd, K., Smaling, E., Woomer, P., & Sanginga, N. (2010). Integrated Soil Fertility Management. Outlook on Agriculture, 39(1), 17–24. https://doi.org/10.5367/000000010791169998

Wilson, M. H., & Lovell, S. T. (2016). Agroforestry: The next step in sustainable and resilient agriculture. Sustainability, 8(6), 574. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8060574

World Bank. (2024). Climate-smart agriculture action plan: Afghanistan. World Bank.

World Bank. (2024). Climate-smart agriculture: From knowledge to implementation. World Bank Group.

Zheng, H., Ma, W., & He, Q. (2024). Climate-smart agricultural practices for enhanced farm productivity, income, resilience, and greenhouse gas mitigation: a comprehensive review. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 29(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-024-10124-6

Zomer, R. J., Bossio, D. A., Sommer, R., & Verchot, L. V. (2017). Global sequestration potential of increased organic carbon in cropland soils. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 15554. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15794-8