A Review of Climate-Smart Agriculture: Recent Advancements, Challenges, and Future Directions
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Reviewer:
Comments to the Author:
The idea of this paper is indeed important; the subject addressed is within the scope of the journal. However I see some short-comes which need to be addressed in the revision. The suggestions are as follows to improve the quality of the paper:
1) Title is acceptable.
Abstract:
Abstract is acceptable.
-Keywords: Some of the keywords are already present in the title. It would be better if the authors consider different keywords.
Introduction:
-The introduction part should be more logical and the novelty and importance should be clearly highlighted.
- The introduction need more focus on mechanisms instead of narration.
- Clearly state whether your objective is novel or no.
- Please provide more solutions to reduce greenhouse gases.
- Please mention more reasons for climate change.
- Carbon sequestration and carbon loss from soil in different agricultural systems should be mentioned more.
- Bold the role of conservation agriculture more and recommend this system as well.
Kind regards,
Reviewer
Author Response
General comments: The idea of this paper is indeed important; the subject addressed is within the scope of the journal. However I see some short-comes which need to be addressed in the revision. The suggestions are as follows to improve the quality of the paper:
Done. Thanks for your good suggestions. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
Specific comments：
1. Title is acceptable.
Done. Thanks!
- Abstract: Abstract is acceptable.
Done. Thanks!
- Keywords: Some of the keywords are already present in the title. It would be better if the authors consider different keywords.
Done. Thanks! We revised the keywords.
- Introduction: The introduction part should be more logical and the novelty and importance should be clearly highlighted.
Done. Thanks! We revised the introduction.
- The introduction need more focus on mechanisms instead of narration.
Done. Thanks! Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Clearly state whether your objective is novel or no.
Done. Thanks! Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Please provide more solutions to reduce greenhouse gases.
Done. Thanks! Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Please mention more reasons for climate change.
Done. Thanks! Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Carbon sequestration and carbon loss from soil in different agricultural systems should be mentioned more.
Done. Thanks! Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Bold the role of conservation agriculture more and recommend this system as well.
Done. Thanks! Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
Reviewer 2 Report
Article Type: Rewiew article
Title: A review of climate-smart agriculture: Recent advancements, challenges, and future directions.
This review article analyzes and highlights the current problems and challenges of CSA by looking at its recent progress in both developing and developed countries. This review also discusses new ideas and strategies for strengthening environmental protection, promoting agricultural green development, and mitigating climate change effects, as well as CSA's future prospects and directions. The subject is intriguing, and it falls within the scope of the journal of Sustainability. Following is my evaluation of the paper:
1. The introduction section is well written. However, the introduction should provide a more precise evaluation of the significance of the study. This section should include more recent articles to help readers understand the issues and challenges associated with CSA for improving environmental protection, promoting agricultural green development, and mitigating climate change effects. The authors are suggested to add the following relevant articles in the line number 30 and 32.
(a) Economic impact of climate change on crop farming in Bangladesh: An application of Ricardian method.
(b) Climate change impacts on farmland value in Bangladesh
Novelty must be presented more clearly, highlighted, and academic and professional applications need to be indicated.
2.Under the section named “Challeges in climate-smart agriculture” authors are suggested to add the following paper in the line number 220.
“Revegetation of coal mine degraded arid areas: The role of a native woody species under optimum water and nutrient resources”.
3. Under the section named “Agricultural weather index-based insurance” authors are suggested to add the following paper in the line number 410.
“Smallholder farmers’ willingness to pay for flood insurance as climate change adaptation strategy in northern Bangladesh”.
4. The authors are also suggested to add a brief “Conclusion section” in this article in order to summarize the study's important findings and conclude the discussion.
5. This paper is written in simple, straightforward English, making it a breeze to read and understand.
Decision: Paper can be published with minor revisions.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
General comments: This review article analyzes and highlights the current problems and challenges of CSA by looking at its recent progress in both developing and developed countries. This review also discusses new ideas and strategies for strengthening environmental protection, promoting agricultural green development, and mitigating climate change effects, as well as CSA's future prospects and directions. The subject is intriguing, and it falls within the scope of the journal of Sustainability. Decision: Paper can be published with minor revisions.
Done. Thanks for your good suggestions. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
Specific comments：
Following is my evaluation of the paper:
- The introduction section is well written. However, the introduction should provide a more precise evaluation of the significance of the study. This section should include more recent articles to help readers understand the issues and challenges associated with CSA for improving environmental protection, promoting agricultural green development, and mitigating climate change effects. The authors are suggested to add the following relevant articles in the line number 30 and 32.
(a) Economic impact of climate change on crop farming in Bangladesh: An application of Ricardian method.
(b) Climate change impacts on farmland value in Bangladesh.
Done. Thanks for your good suggestions. We rewritten the introduction that focused on what we did, what we found, and what we can learn. We also added the corresponding references. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
Novelty must be presented more clearly, highlighted, and academic and professional applications need to be indicated.
Done. Thanks!
- Under the section named “Challeges in climate-smart agriculture” authors are suggested to add the following paper in the line number 220. “Revegetation of coal mine degraded arid areas: The role of a native woody species under optimum water and nutrient resources”.
Done. Thanks!
- Under the section named “Agricultural weather index-based insurance” authors are suggested to add the following paper in the line number 410. “Smallholder farmers’ willingness to pay for flood insurance as climate change adaptation strategy in northern Bangladesh”.
Done. Thanks!
- The authors are also suggested to add a brief “Conclusion section” in this article in order to summarize the study's important findings and conclude the discussion.
Done. Thanks! We added a brief “Conclusion section” in this article.
- This paper is written in simple, straightforward English, making it a breeze to read and understand.
Done. Thanks! The revised manuscript was further checked and improved with Elsevier Language Editing Services.
Reviewer 3 Report
sustainability-2142878: This review article needs the major revision. It would be grateful if the author(s) could revise as following comments and suggestions.
1) Abstract must be mentioned the key findings from your synthesis. In the current version, it seems the general introduction.
2) Line 41: “CSA” must be mentioned the full name at the first place.
3) Line 94: “climate-smart agriculture (CSA)” must be mentioned at Line 41 at first.
4) Sections “3.1. Climate-smart agriculture in developing countries” and 3.2. Climate-smart agriculture in developed countries: Please synthesize based on SWOT analysis for developing and developed countries.
5) Section “4.1. Shortage of agricultural water resources”: It is unclear how CSA can help the water shortage. Please explain more details and the examples are needed.
6) Lines 253-261: Adaptation strategies to combat with drought and flood must be explained and provided the examples. Please see these papers. [Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Vary with Climatic Stress: Evidence From Three Regions of Vietnam. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 2021, 5:762650.]
7) Lines 263-275: Agricultural practices can not only produce the GHG emission, but also nitrogen and water footprints that need to be concerned. This information must be added. Please see these papers. [Effects of multi-cropping system on temporal and spatial distribution of carbon and nitrogen footprint of major crops in China. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 2020, 22, e00895.] [Carbon, Nitrogen and Water Footprints of Organic Rice and Conventional Rice Production over 4 Years of Cultivation: A Case Study in the Lower North of Thailand. Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 380.]
8) Lines 276-287, “4.4. Information resource integration”: This section is quite broad. Please specifically mention with references and any examples.
9) Lines 372-389: Applying crop residues can increase soil organic carbon, which can enhance crop yield. You must mention this aspect as well. Please see this paper. [Soil Organic Carbon in Sandy Paddy Fields of Northeast Thailand: A Review. Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1061.].
10) Although this manuscript is a review article, conclusion is needed to conclude your key findings and recommendation for the future research directions.
11) This review article contains no table and no graph. The author(s) should synthesize and summarize the data from selected papers, then present in table or graph. In the current version seems to be a report rather than review article. Again, review article must synthesize the data from selected papers and provide the new knowledge.
Author Response
General comments: This review article needs the major revision. It would be grateful if the author(s) could revise as following comments and suggestions.
Done. Thanks for your good suggestions. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
Specific comments：
- Abstract must be mentioned the key findings from your synthesis.In the current version, it seems the general introduction.
Done. Thanks! We rewritten abstract that focused on what we did, what we found, and what we can learn.
- Line 41: “CSA”must be mentioned the full name at the first place.
Done. Thanks! We mentioned the “CSA” full name in the abstract.
- Line 94:“climate-smart agriculture (CSA)” must be mentioned at Line 41 at first.
Done. Thanks! We mentioned the “CSA” full name in the abstract.
- Sections “3.1.Climate-smart agriculture in developing countries” and 3.2. Climate-smart agriculture in developed countries: Please synthesize based on SWOT analysis for developing and developed countries.
Done. Thanks for your good suggestions. According to the information we have consulted, the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a framework used to evaluate a company's competitive position and to develop strategic planning. SWOT analysis assesses internal and external factors, as well as current and future potential. A SWOT analysis is designed to facilitate a realistic, fact-based, data-driven look at the strengths and weaknesses of an organization, initiatives, or within its industry. The organization needs to keep the analysis accurate by avoiding pre-conceived beliefs or gray areas and instead focusing on real-life contexts. Companies should use it as a guide and not necessarily as a prescription.
We are sorry that we are not particularly familiar with this SWOT analytical method. However, we used the traditional methods of comprehensive analysis and comparison to analyze the measures, technologies, methods and progress in climate-smart agriculture adopted by developing and developed countries. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Section “4.1.Shortage of agricultural water resources”: It is unclear how CSA can help the water shortage. Please explain more details and the examples are needed.
Done. Thanks! Sorry for mistakes. In the section “4. Challenges in climate-smart agriculture”, We mainly focus on the current shortcomings and challenges of climate-smart agriculture. Shortage of agricultural water resources is one of current challenges for climate-smart agriculture. Water security is the basis of food security. At present, the shortage of agricultural water resources has become a rigid constraint on global food security and agricultural sustainable development. In recent years, due to the shortage of water resources and its uneven distribution at spatiotemporal scales caused by climate variability, such as drought and heat waves, available agricultural water resources were in decline.
- Lines 253-261:Adaptation strategies to combat with drought and flood must be explained and provided the examples. Please see these papers. [Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Vary with Climatic Stress: Evidence From Three Regions of Vietnam. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 2021, 5:762650.]
Done. Thanks! We added the corresponding references. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Lines 263-275:Agricultural practices can not only produce the GHG emission, but also nitrogen and water footprints that need to be concerned. This information must be added. Please see these papers. [Effects of multi-cropping system on temporal and spatial distribution of carbon and nitrogen footprint of major crops in China. Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 2020, 22, e00895.] [Carbon, Nitrogen and Water Footprints of Organic Rice and Conventional Rice Production over 4 Years of Cultivation: A Case Study in the Lower North of Thailand. Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 380.]
Done. Thanks! We added the corresponding references. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Lines 276-287, “4.4.Information resource integration”: This section is quite broad. Please specifically mention with references and any examples.
Done. Thanks! We added the corresponding references. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Lines 372-389:Applying crop residues can increase soil organic carbon, which can enhance crop yield. You must mention this aspect as well. Please see this paper. [Soil Organic Carbon in Sandy Paddy Fields of Northeast Thailand: A Review. Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1061.].
Done. Thanks! We added the corresponding references. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- Although this manuscript is a review article, conclusion is needed to conclude your key findings and recommendation for the future research directions.
Done. Thanks! We rewritten abstract that focused on what we did, what we found, and what we can learn. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
- This review article contains no table and no graph.The author(s) should synthesize and summarize the data from selected papers, then present in table or graph. In the current version seems to be a report rather than review article. Again, review article must synthesize the data from selected papers and provide the new knowledge.
Done. Thanks! We added the Table 1 to analyze the measures, technologies, methods and progress in climate-smart agriculture adopted by developing and developed countries. Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed changes made.
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Accept in present form.
Author Response
General comments: Accept in present form.
Thanks!
