Smallholder farmers produce 80% of the developing world’s food on marginal soils, which are also constrained by climate-related factors. These farmers are directly affected by climate change and environmental degradation issues due to their high dependency on ecosystems for primary production inputs, such as soil and water. However, technical and financial constraints often limit the capacity to sustainably manage soil and water resources in the context of climate change. These constraints are particularly so for problematic soils such as heavy clays. In Trinidad, heavy clay soils occupy approximately 70% (100,000 ha) of the land allocated to smallholder farmers for food production. Heavy clays impede drainage in the wet season and desiccate, crack, and become compact during the dry season.

Moreover, the impacts of climate change exacerbate the shortage of agricultural water during extended dry periods, while waterlogging and flooding are common in the wet season. Soil and water management practices developed and implemented by farmers and agricultural agencies in mitigating the negative impacts of climate change resulted in varying levels of success. This chapter presents a case study on sustainable smallholder farming on heavy clay soils in Central Trinidad (Caribbean region) and focuses on building climate resilience by implementing integrated soil and water management strategies. It discusses valuable lessons learned and adaptation practices that may be replicated elsewhere or even mainstreamed in other parts of the world to sustain food and nutrition security.