The project EconCSA (Assessing the Economic Efficiency of Climate-Smart Agriculture in South Asia) was implemented from September 2023 to December 2025 at Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has been widely promoted in South Asia. However, despite growing adoption, there has been:
-Limited empirical evidence on economic efficiency of specific CSA technologies.
-Insufficient cost–benefit analysis (CBA) incorporating externalities.
-Weak policy-relevant evidence to prioritize investments.
-Limited understanding of trade-offs in productivity, income, and environmental impacts.
The project focused on Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka (NIS), targeting smallholder farmers cultivating rice, wheat, and maize.
The overarching goal was to assess the economic efficiency of Climate-Smart Agriculture practices through comprehensive cost–benefit analysis.
The EconCSA project successfully filled a critical research gap by providing robust economic evidence on Climate-Smart Agriculture in South Asia. It combined participatory methods, rigorous cost-benefit analysis including externalities, and policy-oriented dissemination to advance sustainable agricultural transformation. The results provide actionable insights for policymakers, strengthen EU–South Asia collaboration, and contribute to global climate and development objectives.
Specific objectives included:
-Developing a CSA prioritization framework.
-Evaluating costs, benefits, and uncertainties associated with CSA practices.
-Valuing and integrating externalities (environmental and social) into economic assessments.
-Generating policy-relevant evidence to guide investment and scaling.
-Promoting dissemination and capacity building among farmers and stakeholders.
The project concluded that:
Several CSA practices in South Asia are economically viable and cost-effective, particularly when externalities are accounted for.
Economic performance varies significantly across agro-ecological zones, highlighting the need for context-specific policy.
Incorporating externalities improves the accuracy of investment decisions and avoids underestimation of long-term benefits.
CSA adoption can increase household income, food security, and resilience while supporting environmental sustainability.
Targeted technical and financial support is essential for scaling economically efficient CSA technologies.
Although the planned CSAFarm web platform could not be developed due to budget constraints, all core scientific objectives were achieved.
