How Climate Smart Agriculture Supports Sustainable Farming

Climate change and the increasing demand for food to support growing populations continue to challenge food security worldwide. Establishing sustainable food and agricultural systems is essential to ensure food security for everyone.

According to the World Bank, the global agrifood system accounts for one-third of total emissions. Moreover, emissions are expected to rise as global food demand grows with population expansion. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion.

Traditionally, higher food production has meant using more land and resources such as water, fertilisers, and energy. However, this path is unsustainable—it accelerates resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Our World in Data illustrates the significant footprint of agriculture: food production accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions, uses half of the world’s habitable land, and accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. It is also responsible for 78% of global ocean and freshwater eutrophication due to nutrient runoff. Land once rich in forests and wildlife has been cleared for agriculture, contributing to a decline in biodiversity.

What makes Climate Smart Agriculture different?

The impact of climate change on food production calls for climate-smart agriculture (CSA). This integrated approach combines adaptation, mitigation, and productivity to support resilient, sustainable, and low-carbon food systems (Brears, 2025).

Unlike other “smart” agriculture practices, CSA focuses on both climate change adaptation and mitigation. Its goals are threefold:

1. Feed a growing world population
2. Help farmers adapt to climate risks
3. Significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions

CSA practices include:

• Increasing the quantity and quality of food without overexploiting natural resources, especially for the 75% of the world’s poor who depend on agriculture.
• Enhancing resilience to droughts, pests, diseases, and climate shocks by adopting adaptation strategies.
• Reducing emissions by avoiding deforestation and increasing the carbon sequestration potential of plants and soils.

CSA in action

The World Bank supports developing countries in adopting CSA by providing diagnostics, analytics, and financing. Nations such as Bangladesh, Belize, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, China, Pakistan, and South Africa are transitioning toward sustainable agriculture through these efforts.

CSA encompasses techniques such as conservation tillage, agroforestry, precision irrigation, and climate-resilient crops to maintain yields, conserve water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also leverages modern technologies—drones, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and satellite imagery—to implement precision agriculture and optimise resources.

Climate-smart rice farming in the Philippines

The Drones4Rice Project, developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), illustrates how CSA works in practice.

The initiative utilises drones to enhance rice yields, reduce production costs, and streamline the application of fertilisers and pesticides.

By standardising protocols and enabling affordable private-sector drone services, the project empowers farmers—especially women—to participate more actively in rice farming. Drone technology not only boosts efficiency but also fosters inclusivity.