lukskalashs/csa-maize-impact-analysis

Evaluating the Impact of Climate-Smart Agriculture on Smallholder Maize Farming Outcomes in North-West South Africa # Evaluating the Impact of Climate-Smart Agriculture on Smallholder Maize Farming Outcomes in North-West South Africa --- ## Table of Contents 1. Project Overview 2. Research Question 3. Data Source 4. Methodology & Tools 5. Key Findings & Insights 6. Interactive Dashboard 7. Presentation Slides 8. Limitations & Recommendations 9. How to Run the Analysis 10. Group Members --- ## 1. Project Overview South African smallholder maize farmers face significant challenges due to climate change, including reduced productivity, food insecurity, and income instability. Climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices, such as drought-tolerant varieties, mulching, crop diversification, and zero tillage, are increasingly promoted as potential solutions. This project applies exploratory data analysis (EDA) to a comprehensive dataset to extract meaningful insights and assess the impact of CSA adoption on smallholder maize farming outcomes in North-West South Africa. The goal is to provide evidence-based insights that can inform policy and practice for enhancing agricultural sustainability and improving farmer livelihoods. --- ## 2. Research Question The central question addressed in this analysis is: **"To what extent does the adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices improve maize productivity and household food-nutrition security among smallholder farmers in North-West South Africa?"** --- ## 3. Data Source The analysis utilizes a comprehensive dataset collected from 316 smallholder farmers in North-West Province between 2022 and 2023. This dataset provides household-level information covering: * Demographics * CSA practices adopted * Maize yield and income * Food consumption (including HDDS and HFIAS) * Socioeconomic characteristics The data is sourced from a study by Omotayo et al., published in a Data in Brief article on ScienceDirect: sciencedirect.com. --- ## 4. Methodology & Tools This …