Introduction
Agriculture is both a contributor to and a victim of climate change. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events threaten global food security. At the same time, agriculture accounts for a significant share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) offers solutions that increase productivity, enhance resilience, and reduce emissions, aligning agricultural practices with environmental sustainability goals.
This training by Kincaid Development Center equips participants with practical knowledge and skills to design and implement CSA strategies that mitigate climate change impacts while boosting farm productivity and livelihoods. Participants will explore low-carbon agricultural practices, sustainable land management, and policies that promote climate adaptation and mitigation in agricultural value chains.
Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the principles of Climate-Smart Agriculture.
- Identify agricultural practices that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
- Integrate sustainable land, soil, and water management techniques.
- Apply agroforestry, conservation farming, and renewable energy in agriculture.
- Develop CSA projects aligned with climate adaptation and mitigation goals.
- Access climate finance for sustainable agriculture initiatives.
Duration
5 Days
Who Should Attend
- Agricultural Extension Officers
- Farmers and Farmer Cooperatives
- Agribusiness Managers
- Climate Change and Environmental Specialists
- NGO and Development Practitioners
- Government Agriculture and Environment Officers
- Researchers and Academics in Agriculture and Sustainability
Course Outline
Day 1: Foundations of Climate-Smart Agriculture
- Overview of climate change and agriculture linkages.
- The triple objectives of CSA: productivity, adaptation, mitigation.
- Greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture – sources and reduction pathways.
- CSA in the context of SDGs and the Paris Agreement.
- CSA policy frameworks in Africa and globally.
Day 2: Mitigation-Oriented Agricultural Practices
- Conservation agriculture (minimum tillage, crop rotation, mulching).
- Efficient nutrient management and reduced synthetic fertiliser use.
- Low-emission livestock management practices.
- Rice cultivation techniques to reduce methane emissions.
- Use of biofertilisers and organic soil amendments.
- Carbon sequestration through sustainable land use.
Day 3: Sustainable Resource Management
- Integrated soil fertility and water management.
- Agroforestry systems and their role in carbon capture.
- Climate-resilient crop varieties.
- Renewable energy solutions in agriculture (solar irrigation, biogas).
- Sustainable pasture and rangeland management.
- Prevention of deforestation and land degradation.
Day 4: Climate-Smart Value Chains and Financing
- Incorporating CSA in agricultural value chains.
- Post-harvest loss reduction and low-carbon processing.
- Certification and carbon credit opportunities for farmers.
- Climate finance mechanisms (Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund).
- Public-private partnerships in CSA adoption.
- Case studies of CSA success stories in Africa and globally.
Day 5: Planning, Monitoring, and Scaling CSA Initiatives
- Designing a CSA project – step-by-step guide.
- Monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of CSA impacts.
- Scaling CSA innovations through extension and farmer networks.
- Policy advocacy for CSA integration in national plans.
- Group exercise: Develop a CSA mitigation plan for a target farming community.
- Course review, evaluation, and certification.
General Notes
- The instructor led trainings are delivered using a blended learning approach and comprises of presentations, guided sessions of practical exercise, web-based tutorials and group work. Our facilitators are seasoned industry experts with years of experience, working as professional and trainers in these fields.
- The participants should be reasonably proficient in English as all facilitation and course materials will be offered in English.
- Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a certificate.
- The training will be held at Kincaid Training Centre. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments and lunch.
- All participants will additionally cater for their, travel expenses, visa application, insurance, and other personal expenses.
- Accommodation and airport pickup are arranged upon request. For reservations contact the Training coordinator at Email: training@kincaiddevelopmentcenter.org or Tel: +254 724592901
- This training can also be customized to suit the needs of your institution upon request. You can have it delivered in our Kincaid Training Centre or at a convenient location.
For further inquiries, please contact us on Tel: +254 724592901 or send mail to training@kincaiddevelopmentcenter.org.
Payments are due upon registration. Payment should be sent to our Bank account before commencement of training and proof of payment sent to training@kincaiddevelopmentcenter.org.