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    Linking agricultural adaptation strategies, food security and vulnerability: evidence from West Africa

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    Article Manuscript-Preprint.pdf (559.8Kb)
    Date
    2015-09-01
    Author
    Douxchamps, Sabine
    Silvestri, Silvia
    Moussa, Abdoulaye S.
    Quiros, Carlos
    Somé, Léopold
    Herrero, Mario T.
    Kristjanson, Patricia M.
    Ouédraogo, Mathieu
    Thornton, Philip K.
    Asten, Piet J.A. van
    Zougmoré, Robert B.
    Rufino, Mariana C.
    Buah, S.S.J.
    Wijk, Mark T. van
    Badiane Ndour, Ndèye Yacine
    Type
    Journal Article
    Metadata
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    Abstract/Description
    Adaptation strategies to reduce smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate variability and seasonality are needed given the frequency of extreme weather events predicted to increase during the next decades in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in West Africa. We explored the linkages between selected agricultural adaptation strategies (crop diversity, soil and water conservation, trees on farm, small ruminants, improved crop varieties, fertilizers), food security, farm household characteristics and farm productivity in three contrasting agro-ecological sites in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal). Differences in land area per capita and land productivity largely explained the variation in food security across sites. Based on land size and market orientation, four household types were distinguished (subsistence, diversified, extensive, intensified), with contrasting levels of food security and agricultural adaptation strategies. Income increased steadily with land size, and both income and land productivity increased with degree of market orientation. The adoption of agricultural adaptation strategies was widespread, although the intensity of practice varied across household types. Adaptation strategies improve the food security status of some households, but not all. Some strategies had a significant positive impact on land productivity, while others reduced vulnerability resulting in a more stable cash flow throughout the year. Our results show that for different household types, different adaptation strategies may be ‘climate-smart’. The typology developed in this study gives a good entry point to analyse which practices should be targeted to which type of smallholder farmers, and quantifies the effect of adaptation options on household food security. Subsequently, it will be crucial to empower farmers to access, test and modify these adaptation options, if they were to achieve higher levels of food security.
    https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0838-6
    Multi standard citation
    Permanent link to this item
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/695
    Non-IITA Authors ORCID
    Philip Thorntonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1854-0182
    Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
    https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0838-6
    Agrovoc Terms
    Climate Change Adaptation; Adaptation; Food Security; Climate; Climatic Data; Data Analysis; Agriculture
    Regions
    Africa; Africa South Of Sahara; West Africa
    Countries
    Burkina Faso; Ghana; Senegal
    Journals
    Regional Environmental Change
    Collections
    • Journal and Journal Articles4835
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