Editorial: Climate change mitigation strategies for sustainable crop production in sub-Saharan Africa

Benedicta Essel Ayamba^*

• Soil Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Kumasi, Ghana

highly vulnerable to climate change. With the average temperature risen by 1.2℃ since precolonial times, exceeding the global average, the effects of climate change pose and thereby posing a challenge in feeding the ever-increasing projected 8.6 billion human population by 2030 (UN DESA, 2021). In recent times, several agriculture and soil management practices such as agricultural residue burning, application of mineral fertilizers and crop residues to the soil, the use of nitrogen-fixing crops in soil management, production of paddy rice, tillage practices, land use change, and other anthropogenic factors have contributed to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a major contributing factor to climate change. These have seriously resulted in suboptimal crop yields and consequently hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity.Climate change is thus, a threat to sustainable crop production and food security. While global discourses often emphasize climate adaptation, there is a growing recognition that mitigation strategies; those that reduce or sequester GHGs must be integrated into agricultural planning to achieve long-term sustainability. Furthermore, as envisioned by the United Nation's Agenda 2030 to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all people and the world by 2030, strategies adapted to mitigating climate change effects on sustainable crop production is thus necessary for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDG) 1 and 2 with the outcome target of ending hunger and improving access to food; achieving food security and improved nutrition; promoting sustainable agriculture and resilient agricultural practices in SSA. This Research Topic on explores climate change mitigation strategies as reflected across six recent studies from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and broader African agro-ecosystems.Drawing on empirical field trials from these countries, as well as thematic reviews, the studies explore the integration of conservation agriculture (CA), underutilized legumes, biofertilizers, and intercropping strategies. For years, the dominant discourse in African agricultural research has focused on climate change adaptation. However, mitigation is no longer optional. Agriculture contributes approximately 20% of total GHG emissions globally (Ahmed et al., 2020), and SSA's share is rising due to deforestation, livestock, and fertilizer overuse. Therefore, these studies together present a roadmap for low-cost, ecologically sound, and scalable mitigation solutions that directly support sustainable crop production.The studies reviewed under this Research Topic position African agriculture not only as a climate victim but also as a climate solution. Hailu and Teka present a thematic review of CA, highlighting how integrating mitigation into farming systems through carbon sinks, reduced tillage, and biodiversity can reduce emissions while boosting productivity. Among the most promising mitigation strategies is conservation agriculture, contributing to climate change mitigation via carbon sequestration and enhanced soil organic carbon. However, the authors argue that CA adoption remains low due to lack of mechanization, competing crop residue uses, and limited awareness. Scaling CA, thus, requires mechanization subsidies, stakeholder training, and subsidies for CA-compatible inputs. Replacing chemical fertilizers with organic and biological options is another key strategy. Marzouk et al. showed that the optimal combination of Azolla + rice straw + 50% synthetic N in Tanzanian rice paddies outperformed 100% N fertilizer treatments in terms of increased yields (5.3 t/ha) and nitrogen recovery efficiency (163%), while reducing GHG emissions, and improving soil organic carbon and pH levels. The study thus, calls for biofertilizer-based nutrient management to meet the dual goals of sustainability and productivity.In a review by Ayilara et al. , the authors explored how neglected and underutilized legumes like Bambara groundnut, velvet bean, and winged bean offer both nutritional benefits and ecosystem services. They emphasized on how their incorporation into intercropping systems enhances biodiversity, reduces emissions per unit of production, and improves soil quality. Yet, these indigenous species are often excluded from mainstream seed systems and research agenda.The study thus, presents a strong case for mainstreaming indigenous legumes in food security and soil rehabilitation programs. Also, in a follow-up field study by the same authors Ayilara et al., they demonstrated how intercropping legumes with maize revitalized degraded soils and boosted crop nutritional profiles via microbial activity. Biological interactions were found to increase soil organic matter, contributing to mitigation through natural ecosystem restoration. Methodologically, they employ a mix of reviews, field trials with focus-group discussions, mixed methods approach, and trend analysis under different agricultural systems in SSA. The six studies reviewed demonstrate that climate mitigation in African agriculture is multi-faceted in nature, as it is both feasible and transformative. For policy makers, these findings represent scalable and context-responsive solutions that can reduce GHG emissions, enhance soil health, and improving farmer livelihoods, highlighting the need to integrate agroecological and climate-smart practices into national agricultural strategies. Integrating CA, biofertilizers, indigenous crops, and farmercentered CSA offers a practical roadmap toward resilient, productive, and low-emission farming systems. Future research must therefore build upon these insights through long-term, multilocation trials that assess environmental tradeoffs of different climate mitigation pathways, taking into consideration their financial implications as well.