IEE Research Fellow Dr. Elkhan Sadik-Zada has co-authored a new open-access article entitled “Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption for Sustainable Food Systems and Climate Change Adaptation in Northern India” in Discover Sustainability.

The study examines farmers’ perceptions of climate change and the socio-economic and institutional factors influencing the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Haryana, India. It is based on primary data collected from 240 farmers in the agro-climatically distinct districts of Kurukshetra and Sirsa. By comparing farmers in Climate-Smart Villages with those in non-participating villages, the authors assess both the direct effects of programme participation and broader spillover effects within rural communities.

The results show significantly higher adoption rates among farmers in Climate-Smart Villages. Institutional membership, crop diversification and livestock ownership emerge as important drivers of adoption. Higher uptake of climate-smart practices is also associated with improved yield stability, more efficient water use and greater income resilience.

The findings underline the importance of community-based approaches, knowledge exchange and access to climate information. They also call for context-specific and farmer-centred policies that integrate technological, behavioural and institutional measures to strengthen sustainable food systems and climate resilience.

Read the full open-access article on Springer Nature.