Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a collection of actions and interventions that help agri-food systems transform towards climate resilient practices, increasing the resilience of (smallholder) farmers (FAO,2025). However, some field level adaptations may be relatively easy to implement (eg mulching, soil protection, crop diversification).

CSA expands beyond practical interventions at field levels and also encompasses strengthening national and local institutions, enabling policy frameworks, enhancing funding, and furthering research and evidence.  

• Drought resistant crops. Crops vary in their ability to deal with stresses like droughts or high temperatures. Certain crops are naturally more drought resistant than others. For example, cassava, pineapple, sweet potatoes and several types of peas are well adapted to the Caribbean climate. Furthermore, tree crops generally are more resilient to climate fluctuations due to their stronger established root systems, energy storage systems and more hardy woody tissues (Nisi et al., 2024)

Feasibility & Local Applicability

CSA actions are context specific, depending on local climate change effects, environmental conditions and socio-economic factors. Practical actions can include mulching, crop diversification, drought-resistant crops, adapted irrigation management, hydroponics, terracing, contour farming, etc. Effect depends on available knowledge, environmental conditions, policy environment and financing.

The crops that farmers decide to grow are mostly chosen based on market demands, as well as on traditions and identities. Often, in dry climates, most of these crops may already be drought resistant, and selected and cultivated through traditional and local knowledge. Proposing or stimulating farmers to shift towards other – more drought resistant – varieties should take these dynamics into account (Nisi et al., 2024; Acevedo, 2020).

Co-benefits

Apart from becoming more resilient to the effects of climate change and extreme weather events, CSA will lead to less dependency on food imports, when combined with conservation agriculture approaches will also be beneficial to biodiversity and agro-ecosystems. CSA aims to improve the overall livelihoods of (smallholder) farmers.

Equity & Vulnerability Considerations

CSA approaches require vulnerability assessments and should include be designed to include all types of farmers, including the most marginalized. Approaches should be gender sensitive.

Costs

Low

Case studies & Examples

• Farmer stories Eastern Caribbean
• Climate smart agriculture
• Mulching in Dominica

Aruba & Bonaire dryland orchards

• Popo Morales
• Magazina di Rei
• Living Soil Aruba
• Leon op Bonaire

Literature

• CARDI. (2016) Towards Traditional Knowledge Transfer for Resilient Small Farming Systems in the Caribbean.
• FAO. (2021). Climate Smart Agriculture – Case studies 20221 – Projects from around the world. 
• Nisi, N., Barrett, S., Addison, S., Salman, M., Giusti, S. & Pék, E. (2024). Climate change, drought and agriculture in Small Island Developing States – Risks and adaptation options . Rome , FAO
• Selbonne, S., Guindé, L., Belmadani, A., Bonine, C., Causeret, F. L., Duval, M., ... & Blazy, J. M. (2022). Designing scenarios for upscaling climate-smart agriculture on a small tropical island. Agricultural Systems, 199, 103408. 
• Kuonen, L., & Norgrove, L. (2022). Mulching on family maize farms in the tropics: A systematic review. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 4, 100194.
• Acevedo, M., Pixley, K., Zinyengere, N. et al. (2020) A scoping review of adoption of climate-resilient crops by small-scale producers in low- and middle-income countries. Nat. Plants 6, 1231–1241