Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has become a central concept shaping action and bringing together constituencies at the global level on agriculture and climate change often with explicit attention to how interventions in agriculture and food systems affect each of three key outcomes: food security, adaptation and mitigation.
In this brief review of recent approaches relevant to climate smart agriculture (CSA) programs, the researcher presents ideas on why emerging CSA policies and plans lack the attention to gender that would enable the transformative change that supporters of CSA claim to seek.
There is evidence and guidance available on what works to achieve gender-equitable outcomes at scale. It addresses the politics of resource access and participation from the start, rather than treating CSA as a predominantly technical challenge.
Key messages include:
- Policy- relevant evidence on gender and CSA must go beyond adoption of technologies to consider the politics of resource access and decision-making.
- Institutions that bring about gender – equitable CSA will emphasize women’s participation, leadership and capacity building.
- Emerging CSA policies are weak on gender inclusion.
- The experience of climate funds offers considerable guidance for better practice on gender within CSA programs.