Climate-resilient Agriculture Strategies to Address the Challenges of Agri-Food Security and Climate Change

Context: Small landholding agricultural landscapes face heightened risks due to adverse climatic conditions, threatening sustainable management practices and agri-food and nutritional security. The Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EIGP), particularly Bihar, India, are vulnerable to these challenges, necessitating the optimization of cropping systems for enhanced productivity, profitability, and climate resilience. Objective: This study investigated suitable cropping systems and the impacts of climate change on agri-food production systems in Bihar, India, to optimize the farm-level productivity, profitability, and sustainability. Methods: Field demonstrations of climate-resilient agricultural (CRA) practices were conducted across 70 project locations in seven hubs from 2019 to 2024. Data from agro-climatic zones (ACZs) were analyzed to evaluate productivity, profitability, and sustainability of optimized cropping systems. Results: The Rice-Potato + Maize (RPM) system showed the highest productivity across zones (34.10, 42.23, and 23.69 t ha-1 in ACZ I, IIIa, and IIIb, respectively). Soybean-Wheat-Mung bean (SWM) demonstrated higher profitability in ACZ I ($2400 ha-1) and IIIb ($211.43 ha-1), highlighting the economic potential of legume-based systems. In ACZ III, rice-based systems incorporating mustard ($2030.4 ha-1) and lentil ($1936.30 ha-1) were more profitable, emphasizing crop diversification and rotation strategies. Adverse climatic conditions signifi-cantly impacted agro-ecosystems, exacerbating threats to agri-food production systems. Conclusions: Cropping system optimization enhances system productivity and profitability while mitigating climate risks. Legume-and rice-based systems demonstrate significant potential for economic and environmental sustainability in Bihar. Significance: Policymakers should prioritize climate-resilient cropping systems as adaptive strategies to ensure sustainable agro-ecosystem management, enhance farm-level profitability, and improve agri-food and nutritional security in vulnerable regions.