Extreme vulnerability of smallholder farmers to agricultural risks and climate change in Madagascar

Abstract

Across the tropics, smallholder farmers already face numerous risks to agricultural production. Climate change is expected to disproportionately affect smallholder farmers and make their livelihoods even more precarious; however, there is limited information on their overall vulnerability and adaptation needs. We conducted surveys of 600 households in Madagascar to characterize the vulnerability of smallholder farmers, identify how farmers cope with risks and explore what strategies are needed to help them adapt to climate change. Malagasy farmers are particularly vulnerable to any shocks to their agricultural system owing to their high dependence on agriculture for their livelihoods, chronic food insecurity, physical isolation and lack of access to formal safety nets. Farmers are frequently exposed to pest and disease outbreaks and extreme weather events (particularly cyclones), which cause significant crop and income losses and exacerbate food insecurity. Although farmers use a variety of risk-coping strategies, these are insufficient to prevent them from remaining food insecure. Few farmers have adjusted their farming strategies in response to climate change, owing to limited resources and capacity. Urgent technical, financial and institutional support is needed to improve the agricultural production and food security of Malagasy farmers and make their livelihoods resilient to climate change.

Integrated Landscape Approach: Closing the Gap between Theory and Application

“…Thorough analyses of the spatial distribution in vulnerability are therefore needed, be it in regards to the multitude of challenges affecting, e.g., urban areas [44] or the specific flooding risks due to the combined effects of climate change and socio-economic development [45]. Contrasting assessed vulnerability with existing risk-coping strategies and remaining adaptation needs, as, e.g., conducted by Harvey et al based on a survey of 600 smallholder households in Madagascar, enables jointly determining crucial elements, such as access to extension services, small-scale infrastructural improvements, access to safety nets and sustainable management of natural ecosystems [46]. Pillar 2 provides an overview of synergetic and conflicting changes in societal demand for ES under different global change and climate change scenarios, which can be translated into a set of design and adaptation targets, which forms the basis for designing future landscape options.…”

Access to Risk Mitigating Weather Forecasts and Changes in Farming Operations in East and West Africa: Evidence from a Baseline Survey

“…This can be justified given high dependence of many African economies on agriculture [9], which averagely accounts for about 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [10]. Similarly, African smallholder farmers often exhibit high vulnerability to welfare shocks, among which uncertainties in weather is notable [7,11].…”

The relevance of political ecology perspectives for smallholder Climate-Smart Agriculture: a review

“…Despite the increasing attention of research to climate impacts on smallholder farming, there is limited information on differential risks (both climate and non-climate related), and the mitigation and adaptation needs of smallholder farmers (Harvey et al 2014). Community-based risk assessments of agrarian communities, and agendas for reform, need to integrate the analysis of equality, power relations and justice within existing and new climate change interventions.…”