Factors affecting smallholder adoption of adaptation and coping measures to deal with rainfall variability

Abstract

Rainfall variability is becoming more profound in East Africa. Smallholders relying on rainfed agriculture are particularly affected and need to adapt their farming systems accordingly. This study examined the measures small-scale farmers use to adapt to, or cope with rainfall variability and their rated perceived effectiveness. It also explored limitations to adoption of measures and sources of learning measures. Questionnairebased interviews were held with 80 smallholder farmers, both female and male, living in Kisumu and Trans Nzoia counties in Kenya who had regular or sporadic access to advisory services (denoted trained and non-trained farmers). Trained farmers used more adaptation measures, especially of the measures perceived to be more effective, than non-trained farmers. Female farmers felt more limited by lack of knowledge than male farmers, while money, land and labour limited the smallholder farmers equally. Few measures were used to overcome limitations, but several limitations were covered within the advisory package used for trained farmers, and therefore large differences were seen not only in numbers of measures used, but also in the choice of measures and perceived effectiveness of use. Thus advisory services and policy interventions can play important roles in future efforts to improve adoption of measures.

Capacidad de resiliencia del agroecosistema café en Tezonapa, Veracruz, México

“…Una de las causas de la falta de rentabilidad del café en Tezonapa, se debe a que es frecuente que los pequeños productores se mantengan en las primeras etapas de la cadena productiva y desempeñan las tareas más laboriosas y menos rentables con la consecuencia de una limitada (Campbell, 2021) inversión en tecnología agrícola, infraestructura de comunicaciones o capacitación que permite la innovación requerida para enfrentar futuras condiciones de crisis (Cabell & Oelofse, 2012). La dimensión tecnológica es crucial para mejorar la productividad y aumentar las medidas de adaptación de las fincas ante escenarios de cambio climático (Bedeke et al, 2020;Nyberg et al, 2021;Roy et al, 2019).…”

“…Los productores de café entrevistados presentaron un nivel de educación bajo que limita la innovación tecnológica, la adaptación y por consecuencia hace más lenta la recuperación después de un desastre como los relacionados al cambio climático (Silici et al, 2011). En los pequeños productores de café la baja escolaridad se asocia con otras razones diversas como la falta de dinero, el desconocimiento de nuevas técnicas agronómicas y el nulo acceso a mano de obra que en conjunto limitan la utilización de medidas de adaptación respecto a los cambios ambientales (Nyberg et al, 2021).…”