Conclusions
Climate-smart crop production and food systems can only be successful if they increase the synergies and reduce trade-offs among the different stakeholders and their different objectives regarding sustainable food production, ecosystem conservation and livelihoods.
An integrated assessment of resource use efficiency, ecological services and economic feasibility needs to guide the choices concerning the most appropriate crops and production practices for each specific context and purpose. This must be done not only to safeguard food security, but to help reduce the concentration of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, improve the cycling of nutrients in the soil, maintain an adequate supply of clean water and preserve the protective functions that healthy and self-maintaining agricultural ecosystems provide. All of this will be crucial for coping with the increasing changes and variability of climate.
This type of crop production requires that all stakeholders, including farmers, development cooperation professionals and policy makers, strengthen their ability to make decisions on matters that have typically been outside their area of expertise. A system-wide capacity development approach is recommended for bringing about a gradual transition towards climate-smart crop production.
The purpose of this module was to support this process by clarifying the needs and opportunities to help reach climate-smart objectives in crop production.