What is the current evidence on the effectiveness of climate finance interventions in improving climate resilience and socioeconomic outcomes among smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)?

Climate finance is central to climate-resilient development, yet evidence on its effects on smallholder farmers remains fragmented across financing instruments and outcome measures. This study conducts a systematic review, guided by PRISMA 2020, to assess how grants, concessional loans, insurance, carbon finance, public investment, and private capital influence the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers in developing countries, with attention to women. The review will synthesize impacts on access to climate-smart technologies, irrigation, improved seeds, advisory services, markets, and livelihood diversification, as well as outcomes including productivity, income stability, food security, adaptive capacity, asset accumulation, and women’s economic empowerment. It will examine distributional effects, implementation conditions, and evidence gaps across regions and farmer groups. By linking finance mechanisms to intermediate and long-term outcomes, the study aims to identify which forms of climate finance work, for whom, and under what conditions, thereby informing inclusive and effective climate finance policy and programming.