What is the key characteristic that differentiates a climate-smart agricultural practice from traditional farming methods?

The key characteristic that differentiates a climate-smart agricultural practice from traditional farming methods is its explicit focus on achieving three interconnected objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes, adapting and building resilience to climate change, and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Traditional farming methods often prioritize increasing yields or reducing costs, without necessarily considering the environmental impacts or the long-term sustainability of the practices in a changing climate. Climate-smart agriculture, on the other hand, integrates climate change considerations into all aspects of agricultural planning and implementation. It aims to enhance agricultural productivity and incomes while simultaneously reducing agriculture's contribution to climate change and building the resilience of agricultural systems to the impacts of climate change. For example, a climate-smart practice might involve using drought-resistant crop varieties to increase yields in water-scarce regions while also reducing the need for irrigation, thereby conserving water resources and reducing energy consumption associated with pumping water. Another example could be implementing no-till farming practices, which reduce soil erosion, conserve soil moisture, and sequester carbon in the soil, thereby mitigating climate change and improving soil health. The integrated approach of climate-smart agriculture sets it apart from traditional methods, which may only focus on one or two of these objectives.