scholarly journals “We Will Always Ask Ourselves the Question of How to Feed the Family”: Subsistence Farmers’ Perceptions on Adaptation to Climate Change in Burkina Faso

Author(s):  
Raissa Sorgho ◽  
Isabel Mank ◽  
Moubassira Kagoné ◽  
Aurélia Souares ◽  
Ina Danquah ◽  
...  

In West Africa, climate change aggravates subsistence farmers’ vulnerability to weather variability to sustain their agricultural and nutritional requirements. For successful adaptation policies, in-depth understanding of farmers’ perceptions about climate change, agriculture, and adaptation strategies is essential. This qualitative study in rural Burkina Faso characterized farmers’ perceptions and knowledge through in-depth interviews. The study enumerated the barriers, possibilities, strategies/practices, and support sources of farmers. There was awareness but limited understanding of climate change amongst farmers. Those unable to adapt, faced increased health difficulties, specifically regarding nutrition and mental health. Farmers could implement some dietary and agricultural adaptation strategies (reduce meal size, frequency and variety, preemptive purchase of cereals, multi-cropping, crop rotation, modified seeds) but were unable to implement others (soil rehabilitation, water management). Barriers to implementation comprised financial and time constraints, material and labor shortages, and inaccessible information. Farmers did not understand, trust or utilize meteorological services, but appreciated and relied on agricultural extension services. They reported that social and governmental support was sporadic and inconsistent. This study uncovers the following targets for climate change adaptation policies in rural Burkina Faso: promoting meteorological services, expanding agricultural extension services, increasing access to financial resources, and framing sustainable adaptation within national development goals.

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-440
Author(s):  
Andi Irawan ◽  
Muhammad Syakir

Abstract Bengkulu is one of 10 provinces in Indonesia, which became a center of oil palm production. The aim of the study is to define how the determinant factors influence the oil palm smallholder farmer’s adaptation strategies on climate change in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. Binary logistic regression method was employed to clarify the independent variables that influence farmers’ strategy adapted to climate change. Farmer experience and their household expenditure have the positive and significant effect on cropping diversification, while oil palm price has a positive influence in using land clearing without slash and burning. The factors that most influence the farmers' adaptation to climate change are farmer’s cooperation membership and membership of farmer group for agricultural extension. Because of their education and experience, they are not an important determinant on strategies adapted to climate change, but the farmer’s group for agricultural extension was very important in the adoption of comprehensive adaptation strategies to climate change, thus the understanding and skill of implementing strategies adapted to climate change among smallholder farmers needs improving by government extension agency. Therefore, ensuring access to information on climate change through extension agents is believed to create awareness and favorable conditions to adopt farming practices suited to climate change. It also means that improving the knowledge and skills of extension service personnel about climate change and adaptation strategies, and making the extension services more accessible to farmers is strongly recommended. For future work, new research involving more area with diversified ownership can be performed, not only smallholder farmer ownership but also private and state corporation ones. Moreover, the study about government action and policy for accelerating farmer's adaptation is important to be executed in the future.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phindile Shongwe ◽  
Micah B. Masuku ◽  
Absalom M. Manyatsi

The increased involvement of food relief agencies nearly on an annual basis is a clear indication that agricultural production continues to decline as a result of climate change. In order to mitigate the negative effect of climate change, households engage on adaptation strategies. The extent to which these impacts are felt depends mostly on the level of adaptation in response to climate change. The main objectives of the study were to identify the adaptation strategies employed by households and to analyse factors influencing the choice of adaptation strategies by households using personal interviews. The study used data from a random sample of 350 households. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression model were used to analyse the data. The results showed that adaptation strategies employed were; drought tolerant varieties, switching crops, irrigation, crop rotation, mulching, minimum tillage, early planting, late planting and intercropping. The results showed that the choice of adaptation strategies by households was significantly (p <0.05) influenced by; age of household head, occupation of household head, being a member of a social group, land category, access to credit, access to extension services and training, high incidences of crop pest and disease, high input prices, high food prices, perceptions of households towards climate change. Moreover, the analysis showed that perceptions of households towards climate change significantly influence all adaptation strategies. However, sex and education level of the household head were insignificant in influencing household choice when adapting to climate change. It is recommended that there is need to educate households about the negative impact of climate change on cropping systems. The study also recommends that agriculture extension services should be strengthened, agriculture financial institutions should accommodate subsistence farmers on communal land and rural micro-finance institutions should be developed, in order to facilitate farmers to choose effective adaptation strategies. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Klöck ◽  
Patrick D. Nunn

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share a common vulnerability to climate change. Adaptation to climate change and variability is urgently needed yet, while some is already occurring in SIDS, research on the nature and efficacy of adaptation across SIDS is fragmentary. In this article, we systematically review academic literature to identify where adaptation in SIDS is documented; what type of adaptation strategies are taken, and in response to which climate change impacts; and the extent to which this adaptation has been judged as successful. Our analysis indicates that much adaptation research is concentrated on the Pacific, on independent island states, and on core areas within SIDS. Research documents a wide array of adaptation strategies across SIDS, notably structural or physical and behavioral changes. Yet, evaluation of concrete adaptation interventions is lacking; it thus remains unclear to what extent documented adaptation effectively and sustainably reduces SIDS’ vulnerability and increases their resilience.


2020 ◽  
Vol 249 ◽  
pp. 119369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Arif Hasan ◽  
Ismaila Rimi Abubakar ◽  
Syed Masiur Rahman ◽  
Yusuf A. Aina ◽  
Md Monirul Islam Chowdhury ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Martinez-Juarez ◽  
Aline Chiabai ◽  
Cristina Suárez ◽  
Sonia Quiroga

Adapting to expected impacts of climate change is a task shared by multiple institutions and individuals, but much of this work falls over local and regional authorities, which has made them experts over the issue. At the same time, adaptation to climate change has been a research interest in different academic fields; while private companies provide research and development efforts on the issue. Views from perspectives may contain common ground and discrepancies, but benefits from the discussion may differ among these three sectors. This study shows the application of collaborative approaches to analyze impacts and adaptation measures at a local level. A stakeholder workshop was held in the city of Bilbao to discuss impacts of climate change and adaptation in the local context of the Basque Country. The contributions were proposed on three axes: impacts from climate change, good practices proposed or already in action, and costs and benefits derived from those strategies. Participants were asked to rank a series of measures and practices extracted from their previous inputs. These measures were analyzed after applying bootstrapping techniques, according to the perceived costs and benefits assigned to each of the grouped measures and practices. Participants estimated that groups containing green adaptation measures and those that had potentially positive impacts over climate change mitigation were the most efficient measures, as reduced costs combined with high benefits could lead to win–win adaptation strategies, while grey infrastructures were seen as providing high benefits at high costs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rulia Akhtar ◽  
Muhammad Mehedi Masud ◽  
Rafia Afroz

This article attempts to understand the perception of the rice-growing farmers on the issue of climate change (CC) and identify their adaptive capacity (AC). A survey was conducted through structured questionnaires to understand farmers’ perception and adaptation strategies in response to changing climate and variability. The findings indicate that farmers are moderately adaptive to CC in the study area. The result also revealed that the main barriers are lack of funds and government support available information to CC. Farmers with higher AC can produce greater amount of rice. Rice producers should be enabled through improved extension services, government aid, such as grants, training for better level of adaptability, to help them achieve higher rice production.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Asare-Nuamah ◽  
Ebo Botchway ◽  
Justina A. Onumah

While there is no doubt that extension services play an active role in promoting smallholder farmers’ adaptive capacity and adaptation to climate change, there is a dearth of information and research on how this institution champions climate change adaptation in rural farming communities in Ghana. This study employed a qualitative case study design and interviewed 15 extension officers and 26 smallholder farmers to understand how extension services enhance smallholder farmers’ climate change adaptive capacity and adaptation in the rural Adansi North District in Ghana. The findings indicate that extension services adopt multiple strategies to build the adaptive capacity of farmers to climate change. Through the transfer of skills and knowledge, technology and innovations, supply of inputs, technical advice and liaison role with existing local institutions, farmers are able to adapt to climate change. The study further revealed that extension services are hindered by geographical, sociocultural and economic challenges which affect their alignment and fitness to effectively assist smallholder farmers. The study recommends strengthening the capacity of the extension institution. Moreover, more experts must be trained to provide special, targeted and important services to smallholder farmers in respect of climate change sensitization and adaptation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosaine Nérice Yegbemey ◽  
Jacob Afouda Yabi ◽  
Katja Heubach ◽  
Siegfried Bauer ◽  
Ernst-August Nuppenau

Author(s):  
Keneilwe Ruth Kgosikoma ◽  
Phatsimo Cotildah Lekota ◽  
Olaotswe Ernest Kgosikoma

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze smallholder farmers’ perceptions on climate change and its stressors, their adaptation strategies and factors that influence their adaptation to climate change. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in Kweneng district, located in the south eastern part of Botswana. Multi-stage sampling was used to obtain a representative sample from three sub-districts in the district. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data by using face-to-face interviews. Findings Majority of farmers perceived an increase in mean annual temperature and the number of hot days and a decrease in mean annual rainfall and the number of rainfall days over the past 10 years as indicators of climate change. The prominent adaptation strategies included changes in planting dates for crops and supplementary feeding for livestock. The logistic regression results show that gender, age, household size, poverty, shortage of land, mixed farming and knowledge about climate change significantly influence adaptation. Practical implications The findings indicate that climate change policy should target agricultural diversification at the household level and dissemination of information on climate change and adaptation strategies. Originality/value Policy recommendations can be suggested: government climate change interventions should target agricultural diversification at the household level, and this study provides insights on what influences adaptation strategies and what should be targeted to build resilience in the agricultural sector.


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