This special issue explores climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption, its impacts, and implications for sustainable development. The 19 papers included examine factors influencing CSA adoption among smallholder farmers, the effects of CSA on farm production, income, and well-being, and the role of various factors in promoting CSA. Key findings include: (1) factors such as age, gender, education, risk perception, access to credit, farm size, and off-farm income have mixed influences on CSA adoption; (2) factors like labor endowment, land tenure security, access to extension services, and climate conditions consistently positively influence CSA adoption; (3) diverse forms of capital, social responsibility awareness, and digital advisory services can promote CSA adoption; (4) climate-smart villages and civil-society organizations enhance CSA adoption by improving access to credit; (5) CSA adoption improves farm resilience to climate change and reduces greenhouse gas emissions; (6) CSA adoption increases crop yields, farm income, and economic diversification; (7) integrating CSA technologies into traditional practices boosts economic viability and environmental sustainability; and (8) international collaboration is critical for transferring CSA technology. The introduction highlights the challenges of climate change on agricultural productivity and food security, emphasizing the need for CSA to address these issues. CSA is defined as an approach that enhances farm productivity, livelihoods, and ecosystems while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Governments and organizations have promoted CSA through initiatives like climate-smart villages and agricultural training programs. Smallholder farmers worldwide have adopted various CSA practices to meet CSA objectives. Studies have investigated factors influencing CSA adoption, including farmers' characteristics, farm-level factors, socioeconomic factors, institutional factors, and access to information. These studies show that CSA adoption enhances food security, dietary diversity, and farm resilience. CSA also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil quality. However, gaps remain in understanding how CSA adoption is influenced by different forms of capital, social responsibility awareness, and digital advisory services. Additionally, there is a need to understand how climate-smart villages and civil society organizations address financial constraints and encourage the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. The special issue addresses these gaps by collecting high-quality research on CSA, aiming to understand the relationship between CSA and sustainable rural and agricultural development. The findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions and collaborative efforts in achieving food security, poverty alleviation, and climate resilience. The special issue includes 19 papers, with 10 investigating CSA adoption determinants and 8 examining CSA impacts. The papers provide insights into the factors influencing CSA adoption, the impacts of CSA on crop yields, farm income, and environmental sustainability, and the progress of CSA research. The findings emphasize the need for international collaboration and policy support to promote CSA adoption and achieve sustainable agricultural development.This special issue explores climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption, its impacts, and implications for sustainable development. The 19 papers included examine factors influencing CSA adoption among smallholder farmers, the effects of CSA on farm production, income, and well-being, and the role of various factors in promoting CSA. Key findings include: (1) factors such as age, gender, education, risk perception, access to credit, farm size, and off-farm income have mixed influences on CSA adoption; (2) factors like labor endowment, land tenure security, access to extension services, and climate conditions consistently positively influence CSA adoption; (3) diverse forms of capital, social responsibility awareness, and digital advisory services can promote CSA adoption; (4) climate-smart villages and civil-society organizations enhance CSA adoption by improving access to credit; (5) CSA adoption improves farm resilience to climate change and reduces greenhouse gas emissions; (6) CSA adoption increases crop yields, farm income, and economic diversification; (7) integrating CSA technologies into traditional practices boosts economic viability and environmental sustainability; and (8) international collaboration is critical for transferring CSA technology. The introduction highlights the challenges of climate change on agricultural productivity and food security, emphasizing the need for CSA to address these issues. CSA is defined as an approach that enhances farm productivity, livelihoods, and ecosystems while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Governments and organizations have promoted CSA through initiatives like climate-smart villages and agricultural training programs. Smallholder farmers worldwide have adopted various CSA practices to meet CSA objectives. Studies have investigated factors influencing CSA adoption, including farmers' characteristics, farm-level factors, socioeconomic factors, institutional factors, and access to information. These studies show that CSA adoption enhances food security, dietary diversity, and farm resilience. CSA also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil quality. However, gaps remain in understanding how CSA adoption is influenced by different forms of capital, social responsibility awareness, and digital advisory services. Additionally, there is a need to understand how climate-smart villages and civil society organizations address financial constraints and encourage the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. The special issue addresses these gaps by collecting high-quality research on CSA, aiming to understand the relationship between CSA and sustainable rural and agricultural development. The findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions and collaborative efforts in achieving food security, poverty alleviation, and climate resilience. The special issue includes 19 papers, with 10 investigating CSA adoption determinants and 8 examining CSA impacts. The papers provide insights into the factors influencing CSA adoption, the impacts of CSA on crop yields, farm income, and environmental sustainability, and the progress of CSA research. The findings emphasize the need for international collaboration and policy support to promote CSA adoption and achieve sustainable agricultural development.