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In many parts of Africa, rural populations cultivate their own food through small-scale farming. However, climate change is endangering this traditional lifestyle.
Increasing temperatures, unpredictable rain patterns, and poor soil quality are already reducing crop yields. This is leading tomillions of smallholder farmers into deeper poverty.
However, certain African farmers are adopting new, affordable, and eco-conscious sustainable farming methods. For instance,agroforestry– cultivating trees together with crops on the same land – increased crop yields in Ethiopia by as much as 30%. It also minimized soil erosion by maintaining soil coverage and root structure. Agroforestry involvesworked wellin Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria as well.
In Burkina Faso and Niger, conventionalZaï pits and collecting rainwaterare assisting farmers in revitalizing land that has been damaged due to soil erosion.
These region-specific advancements help toland restoration, biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation.
These approaches are rooted in local expertise, eco-conscious, and have proven effective for numerous farmers. However, they lack sufficient funding, require additional financial support for growth, and need more investigation into their scalability across sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, despite the potential of these solutions to facilitate a fair shift toward low-emission, food-secure agricultural systems, they are not yet being broadly implemented.
Read more: 60% of Africa's food supply relies on wheat, rice, and maize – the continent's rich variety of crops is being overlooked
We are a multidisciplinary group working in the areas of climate change, agricultural economics, and food systems. We examine how climate change and large-scale commercial food systems impact people's health and their capacity to support themselves, as well as explore potential solutions.
We reviewedMore than 120 studies from Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa, and other nations that examined how farmers are modifying their methods in response to climate-related events such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods. Our review stands out as it combines research on crop cultivation (the science) with studies on the policies that influence farming, how farmers obtain financial support, and even how gender influences access to these resources.
Read more: Indigenous fruit trees in Africa provide significant advantages. However, they are being overlooked.
Our study foundMany climate-resilient agricultural initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa have proven successful. However, this is not the case for all. Alack of funding, insecure land ownership, and insufficient training and funding for the farms ofwomen and youthare hindering the growth of climate-resistant agriculture.Government policiesthose that do not assist in adopting modern agricultural methods also pose a challenge.
To safeguard rural incomes, stop the decline of biodiversity, and prevent further hardship in vulnerable agricultural communities, this needs to be addressed quickly.
What the research shows
We discovered that conservation agriculture in Malawi and Zambiaimproved soil health and durability. Conservation agriculture is an easy method of farming that avoids tilling, maintains soil coverage, and implements crop rotation. These techniques enhance the land and enable farmers to produce more food, even in the face of changing climate conditions.
We also discovered that Ethiopia and Uganda encourageintegrated crop-livestock systems, which integrate animals and crops within the same farm. In the northern region ofEthiopia, terracing (constructing step-like formations on slopes) proved effective in minimizing runoff from rainfall.
Read more: Green skills that aid in the restoration of nature are limited: efforts underway to educate more specialists in South Africa and Senegal
In Kenya's arid regions, agriculture thatmimics natural ecosystemshas improved the soil's capacity to retain additional water, enabling crops to endure extended periods of drought. These are affordable, eco-friendly solutions that enhance resilience and rehabilitate damaged land.
Nevertheless, our study revealed that the implementation of these methods is restricted in many nations.
In both Ghana and Malawi,Women find it more challenging to obtain financial support compared to men., so sustainable farming projects were less effective. Other factors includedgender-based exclusionfrom assistance and technical services. This significantly reduces the uptake of climate-friendly methods by female farmers.
Read more: Ghana: Can cooperative farming models assist small-scale farmers in becoming more resistant to the impacts of climate change?
Our study also discovered that expanding sustainable farming methods needs to be fair and inclusive. It shouldn't simply involve pushing new technologies from above because adjusting agriculture to climate change goes beyond just new tools or approaches. It also involves ensuring that women, young people, and underrepresented groups, such as individuals with disabilities, have equal access to resources, education, and involvement in decision-making processes. Without this, even the most effective ideas might not succeed.
International donors have launched climate-resilient agricultural initiatives in several countries across sub-Saharan Africa. However, these efforts are facing challenges as they often fail to align with local requirements. For example, programs frequently neglect traditional knowledge, disregard local land tenure practices, or implement technologies that are either too costly or require excessive labor for small-scale farmers.
Why the G20 should take action
What actions can be taken? Might the G20, a global platform comprising the world's leading economies, facilitate the required change?
South Africa is currently leading the G20 and will pass this role to the United States in 2026. This presents a unique chance for the G20 to highlight Africa's rural concerns related to agriculture, the environment, and climate funding.
Read more: Food trade policies negatively impact individuals and the environment: how the G20 can promote positive changes
The G20’s 2025 agendapledges to reform commercially driven food systems, manage land in an environmentally responsible manner, and advocate for agriculture that is resilient to climate change. This is positive. Nevertheless, past promises from the G20 have frequently not resulted in tangible assistance for farmers in Africa. With strong leadership, this year's G20 can go beyond mere rhetoric.
It can achieve this by assisting African governments in obtaining favorable financial resources from international climate funding sources. The G20 can also promote collaborations among nations, development banks, and donors.
The money collected needs to be utilized for expanding digital support services, promoting traditional knowledge, and pushing for equitable and gender-sensitive reforms in farming.
What should occur next?
According to our research, African leaders and their G20 counterparts should focus on the following:
Support public services that offer farmers access to agricultural expertise, up-to-date weather information, education, and technical assistance along with links to markets for selling their products. Digital tools can be effective only when combined with local networks and traditional knowledge.
Ensure that everyone, including women and young farmers, has sufficient land, water, and financial resources for farming.
Direct climate finance towards enhancing community-tested methods and simple, affordable solutions. This involves cultivating native crops that benefit the soil but have been neglected, as well as integrating plants with trees (agroforestry).
Encourage local research collaborations that are tailored to specific agricultural regions. Generic approaches often fail in farming.
Support agricultural innovations that offer benefits to both nature and communities. This involves planting crops alongside legumes to improve soil quality (intercropping). It also includes cultivating underutilized hardy crops such assorghum, millet and bambara groundnut. These are very healthy and can thrive in dry conditions.
Agriculture is more than just affected by climate change. It plays a crucial role in addressing it. It should be given equal importance in international discussions as fossil fuels and energy shifts.
Read more: Climate change poses difficulties for small-scale farmers – how a combination of traditional and modern methods led to a better maize yield in a dry region of South Africa
Our study revealed that farmers are already making adjustments in response to climate change. However, the entire system must undergo a transformation. This requires political will, global financial support, and equitable structures.
With proper assistance, environmentally friendly farming methods might enhance resistance to climate change and drive a fair transformation of African food systems.
This piece is reprinted fromThe Conversationa non-profit, independent news organization providing you with facts and reliable analysis to help you understand our complicated world. It was written by:Olaoluwa Omoniyi Olarewaju, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Lloyd Baiyegunhi, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Olaniyi Fawole, University of Johannesburg, and Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Read more:
- African populations endured 10,000 years of climatic shifts through modifications in their food practices – research provides insights for today's challenges
- Why aren't South Africans cultivating more native crops? What strategies can encourage farmers to alter their practices?
Olaniyi Fawole is supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa.
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi is supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Water Research Commission of South Africa.
Lloyd Baiyegunhi and Olaoluwa Omoniyi Olarewaju are not employed by, advise, hold stock in, or receive financial support from any organization that could gain from this article, and have not revealed any additional relevant affiliations aside from their academic positions.