Building adaptive capacity: Reducing the climate vulnerability of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Climate change is affecting agricultural production, particularly in Africa, where agriculture forms the backbone of rural economies. Smallholder farmers in rural areas are vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to their marginalised location, low levels of technology, and reliance on rain‐fed agriculture. This conceptual paper finds that adaptation is cross cutting in nature and complex. Hence, it requires an approach that incorporates both policy and investment issues into its planning. This research not only contributes to literature on adaptation strategies but will also provide relevant insight for capacity building on smallholder farmers to avert the ongoing and future climate crisis. Furthermore, it contributes to hitherto limited work on understanding how adaptive capacity is shaped and be sustainable in Zimbabwe. This paper recommends that the government and private sector should disseminate technology that helps farmers adapt to climate change and access to irrigation technology must be a priority.

Trust and opportunism in the competitiveness of small‐scale timber businesses based on innovation and marketing capabilities

“…The order of the process suggests that to achieve better results, innovation is essential, even in these small companies. These findings confirm the suggestion of Mashizha (2019) about the importance of invest in R&D. The possible opportunism limits the moderation effect of trust on the relationship between innovation and marketing capabilities and performance because the company's internal trust does not translate into external trust, that is, with external stakeholders. Consequently, these companies must promote cooperation, by removing the obstacles of this transition of trust (from internal to external) in such a way that opportunism is curbed.…”

“…Strategies that increase adaptive capacity in small‐scale businesses in the forest industry are essential to reduce the impact of climate change (Mashizha, 2019). Small‐scale timber businesses (SSTB) are generally businesses created to obtain a subsistence income for the entrepreneurs and their families (Schoar, 2010).…”

“…Small‐scale timber businesses (SSTB) are generally businesses created to obtain a subsistence income for the entrepreneurs and their families (Schoar, 2010). SSTBs need R&D investments to promote their capacity to adapt (Mashizha, 2019), that is, they must have a greater innovation capability. These companies operate in subsistence markets and possibly only seek short‐term objectives.…”

Determinants of Farm Resilience to Climate Change: The Role of Farmer Entrepreneurship and Value Chain Collaborations

“…To counter the adverse effects of climate change, there is an urgent need to build farm resilience. Building farm resilience to climate change requires that stakeholders come up with strategies that improve farmer adaptive capacity [94]. We present farmer adaptive capacity as a pathway through which farm resilience is strengthened.…”

Assessment of smallholder farmers’ perception and adaptation response to climate change in the Olifants catchment, South Africa

“…Climate change has caused a decline in global agriculture by about 1-5% in the last decade (Mashizha 2019). According to IPCC (2014), agriculture in African countries is projected to be significantly impacted by climate change, and it is expected to cause about 50% yield loss by the year 2020.…”