Climate smart agriculture is defined as an approach for transforming and orienting agricultural development under new realities of climate change. While climate change is posing huge threat to the agriculture sector of the world, climate smart agriculture could be an best alternative currently to combat climate change and ensure food security. CSA was introduced by FAO in 2010 and Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture(GACSA) is working under FAO for climate smart agriculture.

FAO defines climate smart agriculture as "agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience, reduces or removes green house gases where possible and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals". CSA sustainably increase agricultural productivity and income in order to meet national food security and development goals, builds resilience and capacity of agricultural food system to adapt to climate change, ensures agriculture contributes to mitigate emission of greenhouse gases or increases carbon sequestration.

CSA is an approach for developing agricultural strategies to secure sustainable food security under climate change. Agriculture itself being one of the major contributor to green house gases, CSA integrates to remove or reduce GHGs. CSA addresses climate change, integrates multiple goals, maintains ecosystem service, engages women and marginalised group which include a range of practices and technologies suitable for local agricultural system and community's need.

CSA builds community resilience by bringing all stakeholders together for integrated development of local resources ensuring improved governance, community awareness, improved management of local resources and infrastructures with use of local knowledge. Although CSA sounds promising, it has loop holes like lack of clear definition of what is smart and isn't smart, lack of clarity and accountability causing multiple sins and it doesn't include enforceable guidelines and certification process.

Expanding the evidence base and assessment tools to identify agricultural growth strategies for food security that integrate necessary adaptation and potential mitigation, building policy framework and consensus to support implementation, strengthening national and local institution, enhancing financing are the requirements for CSA. For climate vulnerable country like Nepal, CSA can be the way forward.