Chapter 7 - Optimizing water productivity: challenges and opportunities in smallholder irrigation schemes—a case study from South Africa

Irrigated agriculture is a climate change adaptation strategy due to its various benefits, particularly for smallholder farmers. It is feasible to increase smallholder irrigation in South Africa, only that it needs to be implemented correctly. Revitalizing smallholder irrigation is important to sustainably increase food production and improve food and nutritional security and rural livelihoods. Targets to increase the area under irrigation should be matched with available water and energy resources, as informed by circular and transformative approaches. This will allow for coordinated interventions and sustainable improvements in agricultural productivity. The inclusion of smallholder farmers through investments in small-scale irrigation schemes will assist in the development of resilient food systems and strengthen their capacity to adapt to climate variability and change. There is a need for human capacity development to ensure that smallholder farmers are equipped to take advantage of the investments. This will sustain gains achieved from revitalizing smallholder irrigation as it facilitates the shift of smallholder farming management toward climate-smart agriculture. In this regard, climate-smart agriculture practices are envisaged to (1) promote rainwater harvesting and soil water conservation, (2) the use of improved crop varieties with high water productivity, and (3) improved agronomic practices and alternative practices such as intercropping that contribute to increased water productivity should be strengthened.