These pilot projects in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania promoted climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and have been integrated into ongoing development programmes. The objective was to show that smallholder farmers can improve their livelihoods and increase their productivity and contribute to climate change mitigation at the same time. The approach was to develop packages of climate-smart agricultural practices based on participatory assessments and expert consultations, implement the selected practices using a variety of extension methods and evaluate their effects on yield, food security and their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms and throughout the landscape.