scholarly journals Adoption and the Role of Fertilizer Trees and Shrubs as a Climate Smart Agriculture Practice: The Case of Salima District in Malawi

Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Frank Musa ◽  
Judith Kamoto ◽  
Charles Jumbe ◽  
Leo Zulu
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Tobit Model ◽  
Degraded Soil ◽  
Smart Agriculture ◽  
Trees And Shrubs ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Fertilizer trees and shrubs can improve degraded soil and avert the impacts of climate change on smallholder farmers in Malawi. This paper analyses the roles of fertilizer trees and shrubs and factors that determine adoption, as well as the intensity of use of fertilizer on trees and shrubs in maize-based farming systems using the Tobit model. A household survey involving 250 smallholder farmers was conducted in Salima district, Malawi. The analysis shows that adopters of fertilizer trees and shrubs considered fertility improvement, shade, source of food and erosion control as main roles of fertilizer trees and shrubs. The Tobit model shows that households with relatively more land are more likely to adopt fertilizer trees and shrubs than those with small land sizes. Adoption is higher among farmers who had been exposed to fertilizer trees and shrubs for longer periods than others had. Land tenure, education and availability of labor also influence the adoption of fertilizer trees and shrubs. Results further show that household and farm characteristics and availability of extension services explain the current adoption rates of tree-fertilizer technologies. Our findings can guide effective targeting of farmers to ensure higher adoption and sustainability of fertilizer-tree and shrub technology for climate-smart agriculture among the smallholder farmers.

scholarly journals Challenges of Smallholder Farming in Ethiopia and Opportunities by Adopting Climate-Smart Agriculture

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Gebeyanesh Zerssa ◽  
Debela Feyssa ◽  
Dong-Gill Kim ◽  
Bettina Eichler-Löbermann
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Smallholder Farming Systems ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy, and the agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farming systems. The farming systems are facing constraints such as small land size, lack of resources, and increasing degradation of soil quality that hamper sustainable crop production and food security. The effects of climate change (e.g., frequent occurrence of extreme weather events) exacerbate these problems. Applying appropriate technologies like climate-smart agriculture (CSA) can help to resolve the constraints of smallholder farming systems. This paper provides a comprehensive overview regarding opportunities and challenges of traditional and newly developed CSA practices in Ethiopia, such as integrated soil fertility management, water harvesting, and agroforestry. These practices are commonly related to drought resilience, stability of crop yields, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas mitigation, and higher household income. However, the adoption of the practices by smallholder farmers is often limited, mainly due to shortage of cropland, land tenure issues, lack of adequate knowledge about CSA, slow return on investments, and insufficient policy and implementation schemes. It is suggested that additional measures be developed and made available to help CSA practices become more prevalent in smallholder farming systems. The measures should include the utilization of degraded and marginal lands, improvement of the soil organic matter management, provision of capacity-building opportunities and financial support, as well as the development of specific policies for smallholder farming.

scholarly journals “Who Has the Power to Adapt?” Frameworks for Resilient Agriculture Must Contend With the Power Dynamics of Land Tenure

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Calo
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Agrarian Change ◽  
Resilience Thinking ◽  
Capacity Formulation

This special issue aims to develop how Diversified Farming Systems (DFS) may contribute to adaptive capacity in order to confer resilience to agricultural systems. In this perspective article, I argue that a framework for DFS and adaptive capacity must adequately contend with the role of farmland tenure on the shape of food systems to be both internally coherent and socially redistributive. Yet, both DFS and adaptive capacity scholarship deemphasize or mischaracterize the role of farmland tenure in favor of ecosystem dynamics. In this paper, I bring together lessons from the agrarian change literature and established critiques of resilience thinking to demonstrate core problems with a framework aimed at linking DFS to adaptive capacity without adequately addressing the role of farmland tenure. Namely, applying resilience thinking as a framework to understand food systems change prioritizes concern over final “states” or processes of farming systems and may ignore who has the power to adapt or who derives benefits from adaptation. The critiques of resilience thinking inform that the result of this apolitical elision is (1) entrenchment of neoliberal logics that place responsibility to cultivate adaptation on individual farmers and (2) provisioning of legitimacy for land tenure systems that can most readily adopt DFS, without understanding how well these systems distribute public benefits. Resilience reformers call for ways to include more power aware analysis when applying resilience thinking to complex socio-technical systems. I suggest that centering the role of land tenure into the frameworks of DFS and adaptive capacity provides a lens to observe the power relations that mediate any benefits of agricultural diversification. Integrating analysis of the social and legal structures of the food system into the DFS for adaptive capacity formulation is a crucial step to transforming resilience thinking from an apolitical tool to transformative and power-aware applied science.

Understanding gender dimensions of climate-smart agriculture adoption in disaster-prone smallholder farming communities in Malawi and Zambia

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 530-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sizwile Khoza ◽  
Dewald Van Niekerk ◽  
Livhuwani David Nemakonde
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Purpose Through the application of traditional and contemporary feminist theories in gender mainstreaming, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to emergent debate on gender dimensions in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption by smallholder farmers in disaster-prone regions. This is important to ensure that CSA strategies are tailored to farmer-specific gender equality goals. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory-sequential mixed methods research design which is qualitatively biased was applied. Key informant interviews and farmer focus group discussions in two study sites formed initial qualitative phase whose findings were explored in a quantitative cross-sectional household survey. Findings Findings shared in this paper indicate the predominant application of traditional gender mainstreaming approaches in CSA focusing on parochial gender dichotomy. Qualitative findings highlight perceptions that western gender approaches are not fully applicable to local contexts and realities, with gender mainstreaming in CSA seemingly to fulfil donor requirements, and ignorant of the heterogeneous nature of social groups. Quantitative findings establish that married men are majority adopters and non-adopters of CSA, while dis-adopters are predominantly de jure female household heads. The latter are more likely to adopt CSA than married women whose main role in CSA is implementers of spouse’s decisions. Access to education, intra-household power relations, productive asset and land ownership are socio-cultural dynamics shaping farmer profiles. Originality/value By incorporating African feminisms and intersectionality in CSA, value of this study lies in recommending gender policy reforms incorporating local gender contexts within the African socio-cultural milieu. This paper accentuates potential benefits of innovative blend of both contemporary and classic gender mainstreaming approaches in CSA research, practice and technology development in disaster-prone regions.

Does slum formalisation without title provision stimulate housing improvement? A case of slum declaration in Pune, India

Urban Studies ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1715-1735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shohei Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Tenure Security ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Slum Upgrading ◽  
Housing Materials ◽  
Housing Investments

Though previous studies have examined how formalising land tenure affects housing improvements in informal settlements, the role of tenure security and its long-term influence remain unclear. In response, this paper quantitatively examines the extent to which formalising land tenure by way of slum declaration has stimulated housing improvements during the last three decades in the slums of Pune, India. Since slum declaration guarantees residents occupancy but not full property rights, this study focuses on how tenure security contributes to housing outcomes, such as materials, size, the number of floors and the amount of money spent for the improvements. Using original household survey data, analysis involving propensity score matching and difference-in-differences methods reveals that slum declaration has tripled a household’s likelihood of having added a second floor and, albeit less clear, increased the average amount of money spent on housing improvements. At the same time, slum declaration has not induced any improvement in housing materials, largely since many residents of non-formalised slums have also replaced materials. These results indicate that slum declaration, even in the long run, has continued to influence housing investments in Pune’s slums, in terms of both type and amount spent, though residents of non-formalised slums have also come to enjoy certain de facto tenure security. Among other implications for policy, these findings underscore that governments should at least provide legal assurance of occupancy rights in informal settlements, even if active interventions such as slum upgrading and titling are currently difficult.

Smallholder farmers’ crop combinations under different land tenure systems in Thailand: The role of flood and government policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thitiya Panichvejsunti ◽  
John K.M. Kuwornu ◽  
Ganesh P. Shivakoti ◽  
Clemens Grünbühel ◽  
Peeyush Soni
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Land Tenure Systems

The Role of Mobile Phones Use on Agricultural Output and Household Income in Rural Rwanda

2020 ◽  
pp. 618-629
Author(s):  
Ildephonse Musafiri
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Cellular Phones ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Agricultural Output ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Telecommunication Technology ◽  
Information And Communication

This paper assesses the role information and communication technology (ICT) on agricultural output and household welfare of smallholder farmers. The data used in this study comes from a household survey carried out in Nyabihu District, one densely populated area of rural Rwanda. The findings suggest substantial impact of cellular phones technology adoption by farm households. Using the propensity score matching technique, the author finds that agricultural output for mobile phone users is at least 38 percent higher than non-users, whereas their income levels are 26 percent higher on average. The provision of network infrastructure and electricity at community level will enhance agricultural and rural development through increased adoptions of telecommunication technology by smallholder farmers.

The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Rural Smallholder Farmers’ Response to Climate Change: Case Study of Nkomazi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-284
Author(s):  
Nomcebo R. Ubisi ◽  
Unathi Kolanisi ◽  
Obert Jiri
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climate Indicators ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Droughts And Floods ◽  
Negative Impacts

Climate change and variability have direct negative impacts on rural smallholder farmers. These impacts involve extreme climatic events such as excessive temperatures, prolonged droughts and floods which affect people’s livelihoods. This study was conducted in Nkomazi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The main objective of the study was to investigate indigenous weather and climate indicators used by smallholder farmers and the role of indigenous knowledge in their farming systems. The research used qualitative methods, including focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The findings indicated that farmers observed animal behaviour, plants, atmospheric indicators and human ailments to predict weather.

scholarly journals Interaction between livestock and crop farming in Northern Nigeria: an integrated farming systems approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-99
Author(s):  
S. A. Sanni ◽  
A. O. Ogungbile ◽  
T. K. Atala
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Soil Improvement ◽  
Production Factor ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
Production Animals ◽  
High Level

The study looked at the role of livestock and its interaction with crop production in an integrated crop-livestock joining system in Katsina State.Field data were collected through household survey of 120 respondent located in six villages in Katsina state. The result shows that there was a high level of crop-livestock integration among the smallholders in the study area. Livestock in the study is important as a production factor for subsistence, cash and as a source of health. Livestock was prime importance in providing draft power and a source of savings and investment to the households. Also, output from livesick such as manure was intermediate product used for soil improvement for crop production. Animals, particularly small ruminant and poultry; were sold according to house needs for household and crop inputs. They are also purchased as a source of savings investment for the households. Workbulls were more commonly used for the various crop cultivation processes while donkeys were mainly used for carting and transportation. Crop residue supplementation accounted for about 70% of the total feed intake during the dry season. The study also revealed that livestock provided about 30% of the annual household income.

scholarly journals Determinants of Capital Formation of Smallholder Farmers in Kyrgyzstan

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dastan Aseinov ◽  
Burulcha Sulaimanova ◽  
Kamalbek Karymshakov
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Capital Formation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Head Of Household ◽  
Household Survey Data ◽  
Physical Assets

Capital formation is crucial to increase output volume and quality in agricultural production activity of households. This study examines factors affecting capital formation of smallholder farmers in Kyrgyzstan ranging from household characteristics to location of farmers. Along with other traditional potential constraints that may have impact on capital formation, we examine the role of social network activities. These expenditures on customs and traditions may have both negative and positive effects on the capital formation in agriculture. Our empirical analysis is based on the cross-sectional household survey data for 2013. According to our findings, the amount of physical assets of households in Kyrgyzstan mainly depends on the share of expenses on customs and traditions, the total income, gender differences and the ethnicity of the head of household.

scholarly journals Prospects of Agroforestry as Climate-smart Agricultural Strategy in Cocoa Landscapes: Perspectives of Farmers in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Albert A. Arhin ◽  
Ernestina F. Antoh ◽  
Sampson Edusah ◽  
Kwaku Obeng-Okrah
Keyword(s):  
Woody Plants ◽  
National Park ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Agriculture Policy ◽  
Smart Agriculture ◽  
Agroforestry Practices ◽  
Extension Support

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is increasingly being promoted by the international community to help farmers adapt to climate change and lift them out of poverty. An essential technique that is promoted under the climate- mitigating smart agriculture policy package to reduce forest loss is agroforestry—the planting of woody plants or trees into farming systems. Integrating agroforesty into cocoa landscapes, it is argued, create forest-like habitats which serves as faunal refuges, sequester carbon and therefore contribute to increasing agricultural productivity, resilience (adaptation) and removal of greenhouse gas emissions. This article uses a qualitative data collected from 100 households in seven communities around the Kakum National Park in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District in Ghana, where a climate-smart agriculture programme is being piloted. The study analysed the extent of willingness of farmers to participate in interventions that promote increased adoption of agroforestry in cocoa landscapes. The result shows that though farmers have favourable perception about the role of agroforestry on cocoa systems, and are willing to adopt the practice, this does not automatically translate into their willingness to participate in agroforestry program that was asking them to extend the number of trees currently maintained on their cocoa landscapes. The study further reveals that size of farms, the age and height of cocoa trees, extension support and the general ecology of the cocoa varieties as some of the reasons influencing whether the agroforestry practices promoted could be adopted or not.

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