Adaptation strategies to climatic variability: A case study of small-scale farmers in rural Mexico

Campos, Minerva; McCall, Michael K.

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2013.12.017

Cited by 44 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(66 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Across the three countries, our experts strongly associated higher adaptive capacity with increased access to markets, credit, on-farm labor, investments in soil conservation, secure land tenure, and less dynamic migration. Overall, these characteristics align closely with what we understand from the literature on assets, adaptation, and coping strategies for smallholder coffee and subsistence farmers in this region (Campos et al 2014;Alayon-Gamboa and Ku-Vera 2011;Altieri and Koohafkan 2009;Eakin et al 2006).…”

Section: Factors That Affect the Adaptive Capacity Of Smallholder Farsupporting

confidence: 79%

Mapping adaptive capacity and smallholder agriculture: applying expert knowledge at the landscape scale

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The impacts of climate change exacerbate the myriad challenges faced by smallholder farmers in the Tropics. In many of these same regions, there is a lack of current, consistent, and spatially-explicit data, which severely limits the ability to locate smallholder communities, map their adaptive capacity, and target adaptation measures to these communities. To explore the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers in three data-poor countries in Central America, we leveraged expert input through in-depth mapping interviews to locate agricultural landscapes, identify smallholder farming systems within them, and characterize different components of farmer adaptive capacity. We also used this input to generate an index of adaptive capacity that allows for comparison across countries and farming systems. Here, we present an overview of the expert method used, followed by an examination of our results, including the intercountry variation in expert knowledge and the characterization of adaptive capacity for both subsistence Climatic Change (2017) The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA and smallholder coffee farmers. While this approach does not replace the need to collect regular and consistent data on farming systems (e.g. agricultural census), our study demonstrates a rapid assessment approach for using expert input to fill key data gaps, enable trans-boundary comparisons, and to facilitate the identification of the most vulnerable smallholder communities for adaptation planning in data-poor environments that are typical of tropical regions. One potential benefit from incorporating this approach is that it facilitates the systematic consideration of fieldbased and regional experience into assessments of adaptive capacity, contributing to the relevance and utility of adaptation plans.

show abstract

Section: Factors That Affect the Adaptive Capacity Of Smallholder Farsupporting

confidence: 79%

Mapping adaptive capacity and smallholder agriculture: applying expert knowledge at the landscape scale

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…; Forsyth and Evans ; Campos et al . ). Strategies in smallholder agriculture often involve switching crop varieties and livestock species (Seo and Mendelsohn ), the use of irrigation, greater crop diversification and changing planting dates (Bauer and Scholz ; Mertz et al .…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 97%

Climate variability and livelihood diversification in northern Ethiopia: a case study of Lasta and Beyeda districts

Weldegebriel

Prowse

2016

Geographical Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article examines smallholders' perceptions of climate variability in two districts in northern Ethiopia, and the diversification options pursued within and outside agriculture. Meteorological records corroborate smallholders' belief that temperatures are increasing but do not support assertions that rainfall is decreasing. Farm-level adaptation mainly involves soil and water conservation measures learnt from state-led schemes as well as planting a broader crop mix. Diversification outside agriculture is mainly wage labour: international and national migration, construction work in local towns, participation in public works and piecework on nearby farms. The article concludes by arguing that policymakers could do more to support non-farm diversification strategies by recognising the importance of rural-urban connections in fostering adaptation.

show abstract

“…While there is a rapidly growing interest in Ecosystem-based Adaptation for its potential social, environmental and economic benefits (e.g., Jones et al, 2012;Munang et al, 2013;Campos et al, 2014;Doswald et al, 2014), almost all of this literature has focused on the adaptation benefits that accrue from the conservation and/or restoration of natural habitats. We refer to Ecosystem-based Adaptation in agricultural systems as the implementation of agricultural management practices that use or take advantage of biodiversity, ecosystem services or ecological processes (either at the plot, farm or landscape level) to help increase the ability of crops or livestock to adapt to climate variability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem-based adaptation for smallholder farmers: Definitions, opportunities and constraints

Vignola

Harvey

Bautista-Solís

et al. 2015

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

179

108

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite the growing interest in Ecosystem-based Adaptation, there has been little discussion of how this approach could be used to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change, while ensuring the continued provision of ecosystem services on which farming depends. Here we provide a framework for identifying which agricultural practices could be considered 'Ecosystem-based Adaptation' practices, and highlight the opportunities and constraints for using these practices to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. We argue that these practices are (a) based on the conservation, restoration or management of biodiversity, ecosystem processes or services, and (b) improve the ability of crops and livestock to maintain crop yields under climate change and/or by buffering biophysical impacts of extreme weather events or increased temperatures. To be appropriate for smallholder farmers, these practices must also help increase their food security, increase or diversify their sources of income generation, take advantage of local or traditional knowledge, be based on local inputs, and have low implementation and labor costs. To illustrate the application of this definition, we provide some examples from smallholders' coffee management practices in Mesoamerica. We also highlight three key obstacles that currently constrain the use of Ecosystem-based Adaptation practices (i) the need for greater understanding of their effectiveness and the factors that drive their adoption, (ii) the development supportive and integrated agriculture and climate change policies that specifically promote them as part of a broader agricultural adaptation program; and (iii) the establishment and maintaining strong and innovative extension programs for smallholder farmers. Our framework is an important starting point for identifying which Ecosystem-based Adaptation practices are appropriate for smallholder farmers and merit attention in international and national adaptation efforts. (Résumé d'auteur

show abstract

Adaptation strategies to climatic variability: A case study of small-scale farmers in rural Mexico

Cited by 44 publications

References 59 publications

Mapping adaptive capacity and smallholder agriculture: applying expert knowledge at the landscape scale

Mapping adaptive capacity and smallholder agriculture: applying expert knowledge at the landscape scale

Climate variability and livelihood diversification in northern Ethiopia: a case study of Lasta and Beyeda districts

Ecosystem-based adaptation for smallholder farmers: Definitions, opportunities and constraints

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About