Adaptation, Impact and Barriers to Climate-Smart Agriculture: Empirical Evidence from Arunachal Pradesh

This study analyzes how tribal farming communities in Arunachal Pradesh are adapting to climate-smart agriculture (CSA), its impact on their livelihoods, and the key challenges they face. The study is based on primary data collected from 250 farmers through a structured schedule. The analysis employs binary logistic regression to identify the factors that drive adaptation and applies propensity score matching (PSM) to measure its outcomes. A problem confrontation index (PCI) is used to rank the barriers. The results show that 43% of farmers have adopted CSA practices. Adaptation is more likely among individuals with higher levels of education, access to irrigation, younger household members, and involvement in institutions, such as farmer groups. Farmers who adopted CSA reported major gains: crop yields increased by 51%, farm income increased by 58%, and food security improved by 19%. However, CSA had limited effects on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving carbon sequestration. Despite its benefits, many farmers face serious obstacles. The biggest challenges include weak agricultural extension services, low awareness of CSA, high cost and poor availability of improved seeds, and limited access to institutional credit. The study suggests training on CSA, better agricultural extension support, and inclusive financial services for better CSA adaptation. CSA has the potential to enhance productivity and resilience in tribal farming systems with the right support. It can play a key role in promoting sustainable agriculture in the region.