Adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder leafy vegetable agripreneurs in semi-arid regions. A bibliometric review

This bibliometric review examines the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices among smallholder leafy vegetable agripreneurs in semi-arid regions, a crucial area for enhancing food security and resilience to climate variability. Using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, the study analyzes global research trends, identifies key CSA practices, and highlights critical research gaps. Findings indicate that most studies on CSA adoption fall into three main categories: water management practices (such as rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation), soil management practices (including crop rotation and organic fertilization), and integrated soil-water management practices (such as agroforestry and mulching). CSA practices are widely integrated with cereals (maize, wheat, sorghum, millet), legumes (soybean, chickpeas), root and tuber crops (potato), oilseed crops (canola, cotton), and fruit and vegetable crops (tomato, onion, carrot). However, leafy vegetables (such as kale, amaranth, and African nightshade) remain significantly underrepresented in CSA research, despite their high adaptation potential to climate variability due to their multiple harvest cycles, short maturity period, high market value, low volume, and resilience to harsh conditions. Policymakers, practitioners, and development stakeholders should focus on developing CSA models tailored to leafy vegetable production in semi-arid regions to enhance climate resilience. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies, digital tools for information dissemination, and localized CSA interventions. Addressing these gaps will strengthen CSA adoption, improve smallholder resilience, and contribute to global goals such as Zero Hunger (SDG 2) and Climate Action (SDG 13).