Primarily through secondary literature and desk reviews, this study explored the need for and the importance of empowering current extension and advisory services (EAS) to be climate responsive. This is now more crucial than ever to ensure a just and inclusive transition for smallholder men and women farmers to adapt their farming practices to shift to a resilient and sustainable agrifood system. Key to these systemic structural reforms is the establishment of strong enabling conditions that enhance the capacities and climate knowledge of extension actors and rural stakeholders. These enablers further include digitalization of information delivery for improving the timeliness of advisories, while ensuring equitable access for both men and women in rural communities, and the need for coherent EAS policies aligning with the national climate and development priorities under the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, there is a need to foster bottom-up, consultative planning processes and community-led development initiatives that reflect local realities. Finally, financial sustainability is a crucial factor, requiring the establishment of self-sustaining financial systems, robust budgeting, and effective monitoring plans to ensure continuity of climate-responsive services. The study underscores that with the right structural reforms, knowledge and capacity building initiatives, and supportive governance frameworks, development programmes such as PlantwisePlus, can empower national EAS to be powerful channels for achieving national climate commitments. This will also empower rural agrarian communities to sustain their livelihoods under the new realities of climate change.