Time to talk with Dr. Aklilu Negussie, author and editor of some chapters of this book and WeForest’s Ethiopia Country Director, to hear all about it!

Is there an actual need for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in Sub-Saharan Africa? 

Dr. Negussie: “The majority of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa relies on subsistence agriculture for survival. This way of living is becoming increasingly difficult in already degraded areas with poor soil, unpredictable weather patterns and high population growth. For this reason, new approaches to agricultural production are needed. These should meet the challenges posed by environmental degradation and climate change, while also providing food security for hundreds of millions of people”.

What new information does this book have for people interested in CSA in Sub-Saharan Africa?

“The book consolidates current expert knowledge on Climate-Smart technologies and practices, and links them to real-world case studies from different contexts in Ethiopia and other Sub-Saharan countries.”

“It also covers a wide range of topics related to CSA, such as climate-smart forest management, water management, agroforests, soil, ecosystems, rural energy, socioeconomics, gender, and policy. An emphasis is placed on how to integrate approaches at farm and landscape scales to restore degraded land and build climate and livelihood resilience.”

Who should read this book?

“Due to the variety of topics, the information will be of interest to a wide range of people including researchers, field practitioners, local communities and policymakers.”

Climate-Smart Agriculture: Enhancing Resilient Agricultural Systems, Landscapes, and Livelihoods in Ethiopia and Beyond (2019) is a publication by World Agroforestry (ICRAF) with contributing editors from WeForest, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Oregon State University and Mekelle University.

The full publication can be read here.