Linking climate-smart agriculture awareness and crop diversity in semi-arid South Africa

Abstract

Climate change intensifies risks to rural farming systems, creating urgent demands for adaptive strategies that sustain productivity and resilience. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is widely promoted, yet little is known about how CSA awareness interact with crop diversity to influence household resilience in semi-arid South Africa. This study analyzed 195 structured household surveys capturing demographic, cropping, water use, and sustainability practices. Socio-economic attributes strongly shaped resilience under water stress: higher education and income stability reduced crop failure risks, while reliance on grants or formal employment was associated with greater irrigation adoption. Only 21.5% of households reported CSA awareness; however, these households exhibited higher crop diversity and improved ecological balance. Intercropping households achieved significantly higher biodiversity scores (Shannon Index: 1.50 vs. 0.80; Simpson Index: 0.75 vs. 0.40; p < 0.001), while diversified rotations enhanced ecological stability. Principal component analysis revealed three resilience pathways, high-sustainability monocroppers, moderately sustainable diversifiers, and low-sustainability rainwater-dependent households, explaining 59.7% of total variance. Although CSA-aware households recorded slightly higher biodiversity and sustainability scores, differences were not statistically significant, indicating that awareness alone is insufficient. Strengthening CSA awareness, coupled with investments in water infrastructure and targeted support for women and experienced farmers, can substantially enhance resilience and sustainability in rural food systems.