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Climate Change and Seed System Interventions Impact on Food Security and Incomes in East Africa. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14116519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is challenging agricultural productivity, especially in Africa. Adoption of improved or diverse seed varieties is a promising strategy to achieve increased yields, support food security and reduce poverty under climate change in East Africa. However, rigorous impact evaluations linking the contributions of improved seeds to the welfare of households have been limited. This paper evaluates the impact of diversified seed systems on farm household production, sales, income, consumption and seed storage in Kenya and Uganda. It applies four-cell analysis to explore the intra-specific diversity of crops within farming systems, using primary data obtained from a random sampling of 207 treatment households and 87 control households. Propensity score matching was used to investigate the relationship between adoption of improved seeds and changes in production, sales, income, consumption, seed storage and food security. Econometric results indicate that treatment households using improved seeds saw a significant positive impact on income from bean seed sales, sorghum and millet consumption, bean livestock feed and maize and millet seed stored. We conclude that increasing seed diversity helps farmers cope with climate change and increases productivity, food availability, incomes and food security. Partnerships among seed improvement stakeholders need to be enhanced to ensure a continued supply of appropriate seeds to farmers.
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Palanivel H, Shah S. Unlocking the inherent potential of plant genetic resources: food security and climate adaptation strategy in Fiji and the Pacific. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY 2021; 23:14264-14323. [PMID: 33619427 PMCID: PMC7888530 DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01273-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are the center of origin and diversity for several root, fruit and nut crops, which are indispensable for food security, rural livelihoods, and cultural identity of local communities. However, declining genetic diversity of traditional food crops and high vulnerability to climate change are major impediments for maintaining agricultural productivity. Limited initiatives to achieve food self-sufficiency and utilization of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) for enhancing resilience of agro-ecosystems are other serious constraints. This review focuses on the visible and anticipated impacts of climate ge, on major food and tree crops in agriculture and agroforestry systems in the PICs. We argue that crop improvement through plant breeding is a viable strategy to enhance food security and climatic resilience in the region. The exploitation of adaptive traits: abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, yield and nutritional efficiency, is imperative in a world threatened by climatic extremes. However, the insular constraints of Fiji and other small PICs are major limitations for the utilization of PGR through high throughput techniques which are also cost prohibitive. Crop Improvement programs should instead focus on the identification, conservation, documentation and dissemination of information on unique landraces, community seed banks, introduction of new resistant genotypes, and sustaining and enhancing allelic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemalatha Palanivel
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, PO Box 16417, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Shipra Shah
- Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Koronivia Campus, Fiji National University, PO Box 1544, Nausori, Republic of Fiji
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Gender and Social Seed Networks for Climate Change Adaptation: Evidence from Bean, Finger Millet, and Sorghum Seed Systems in East Africa. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13042074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In many East African countries, women and men have different levels of access to formal markets for agricultural inputs, including seed, reflecting a combination of gender norms and resource constraints. As a result, women and men may have different levels of participation in—and reliance upon—informal seed systems for sourcing preferred planting material and accessing new crop varieties over time. We use network analysis to explore differences in seed networks accessed by women and men for three major food security crops—beans, finger millet, and sorghum—in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Drawing on data from an original survey of 1001 rural farm households across five study sites, we find that women, on average, have fewer connections to experts and farmers’ groups than men but are relatively better connected in farmer-to-farmer social networks across different farming systems. We further find women’s and men’s networks are clustered by gender (i.e., women’s networks include more women, and men’s networks include more men)—and that men’s networks are more likely to exchange improved seed. Women’s networks, though sometimes larger, are less likely to exchange improved varieties that might help farmers adapt to climate change. Women farmers across contexts may also be more reliant on farmer-to-farmer networks than men due to their relative isolation from other seed and information sources. Findings emphasize the need for careful attention to the different implications of seed policies, market interventions, and other seed system reforms to support gender-equitable food security options for women and men in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Evidence of Climate Change Coping and Adaptation Practices by Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13031308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Evidence on how coping practices for immediate climate variations can transform into long-term adaptive capacity are relatively limited. This study addressed this gap by identifying the coping practices for short-term climate variations and the adaptation measures used by smallholder farmers to address future climate change in northeast Ghana. The paper used a mixed-methods approach, including household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Data were collected from 555 households located in six communities across three districts in northeast Ghana. Results indicated that smallholder farmers were employing a host of practices to address the threats posed by climate change. Key adaptation practices included the planting of drought-tolerant crop varieties, the use of indigenous knowledge, intensification of irrigation, migration, adjusting the planting calendar, crop diversification, mixed farming, and sustainable land management practices. On the contrary, short-term coping practices reported by the study participants included the sale of non-farm assets, complementing agriculture with non-farm jobs, selling livestock, engaging in wage labor, charcoal burning and reliance on social networks. The results further revealed that barriers to climate change adaptation and coping practices differed by gender. The paper recommends that capacities of smallholder farmers in vulnerability hotspots should be enhanced to address immediate climate variations, as well as future climate changes. Ghana’s climate change and agricultural policies should prioritize adaptations by smallholder farmers in addressing threats posed by climate change.
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Tibesigwa B, Ntuli H, Lokina R, Okumu B, Komba C. Long-rains crops, short-rains crops, permanent crops and fruit crops: The 'hidden' multiple season-cropping system for adaptation to rain variability by smallholder farms. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 278:111407. [PMID: 33221672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To adapt is to survive. However, sub-Saharan Africa, although highly dependent on agriculture, is vulnerable, most affected, with low-adaptive capacity. Luckily, the region is blessed with inherent adaptation-related strengths that are within reach, to counteract uncertainty in climatic patterns which are expected to continue well into the future. One such strength is a bimodal rainfall pattern that avails the 'hidden' multiple season-cropping systems that have the potential to produce four types of crops in a single plot in a single year: short-rains crops, long-rains crops, permanent crops and fruit crops. Despite burgeoning literature on adaptation, the impact of multiple season-cropping systems has not been adequately investigated. This study applies a novel approach to measure its impact on productivity of more than 10,000 smallholder plots using an endogenous switching regression framework. The study finds that plots that adopt multiple season-cropping systems produce higher quantities, earn more crop revenue, and are less likely to be affected by rainfall variability in comparison to plots that engage in single season-cropping systems. As the fight against climate change continues, there is need to move the needle on adaptation and consider strategies that are within reach. The multiple season-cropping systems provide this opportunity and emphasises the benefit of engaging in agriculture throughout the year and producing long-rains, short rains, permanent and fruits crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byela Tibesigwa
- Environment for Development (EfD) Tanzania, Department of Economics, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Environmental-Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU), School of Economics, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Herbert Ntuli
- Environmental-Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU), School of Economics, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Wildlife Economics and Policy Analyst, WWF South Africa, South Africa.
| | - Razack Lokina
- Environment for Development (EfD) Tanzania, Department of Economics, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
| | - Boscow Okumu
- Environmental-Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU), School of Economics, University of Cape Town, South Africa; The National Treasury and Planning, Kenya.
| | - Coretha Komba
- Environmental-Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU), School of Economics, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Mzumbe University, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
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Acevedo M, Pixley K, Zinyengere N, Meng S, Tufan H, Cichy K, Bizikova L, Isaacs K, Ghezzi-Kopel K, Porciello J. A scoping review of adoption of climate-resilient crops by small-scale producers in low- and middle-income countries. NATURE PLANTS 2020; 6:1231-1241. [PMID: 33051616 PMCID: PMC7553851 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00783-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate-resilient crops and crop varieties have been recommended as a way for farmers to cope with or adapt to climate change, but despite the apparent benefits, rates of adoption by smallholder farmers are highly variable. Here we present a scoping review, using PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols), examining the conditions that have led to the adoption of climate-resilient crops over the past 30 years in lower- and middle-income countries. The descriptive analysis performed on 202 papers shows that small-scale producers adopted climate-resilient crops and varieties to cope with abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, flooding and salinity. The most prevalent trait in our dataset was drought tolerance, followed by water-use efficiency. Our analysis found that the most important determinants of adoption of climate-resilient crops were the availability and effectiveness of extension services and outreach, followed by education levels of heads of households, farmers' access to inputs-especially seeds and fertilizers-and socio-economic status of farming families. About 53% of studies reported that social differences such as sex, age, marital status and ethnicity affected the adoption of varieties or crops as climate change-adaptation strategies. On the basis of the collected evidence, this study presents a series of pathways and interventions that could contribute to higher adoption rates of climate-resilient crops and reduce dis-adoption.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sisi Meng
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | | | | | - Livia Bizikova
- International Institute for Sustainable Development, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Better Agronomic Management Increases Climate Resilience of Maize to Drought in Tanzania. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11090982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Improved access to better seeds and other inputs, as well as to market and financing, provides greater harvest security for smallholder farmers in Africa, boosting their incomes and increasing food security. Since 2015, a variety of agronomic measures have been introduced and adopted by smallholder farmers under a program led by the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) called the Patient Procurement Platform (PPP). Here, we integrate a variety of agronomic measures proposed by the PPP to more than 20,000 smallholder farmers in Tanzania into 18 management strategies. We apply these across the country through grid-based crop model (DSSAT) simulations in order to quantify their benefits and risk to regional food security and smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. The simulation demonstrates current maize yields are far below potential yields in the country. Simulated yields across the nation were slightly higher than the mean of reported values from 1984 to 2014. Periodic droughts delayed farmers’ sowing and reduced maize yield, leading to high risk and low sustainability of maize production in most of the maize areas of the country. Better agronomic management strategies, particularly the combination of long-maturity, drought tolerance cultivars, with high fertilizer input, can potentially increase national maize production by up to five times, promoting Tanzania as a regional breadbasket. Our study provides detailed spatial and temporal information of the yield responses and their spatial variations, facilitating the adoption of various management options for stakeholders.
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Lunduka RW, Mateva KI, Magorokosho C, Manjeru P. Impact of adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties on total maize production in south Eastern Zimbabwe. CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT 2019; 11:35-46. [PMID: 30881484 PMCID: PMC6397629 DOI: 10.1080/17565529.2017.1372269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Drought is a huge limiting factor in maize production, mainly in the rain-fed agriculture of sub-Saharan Africa. In response to this threat, drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties have been developed with an aim to ensure maize production under mild drought conditions. We conducted a study to assess the impact of smallholder farmers' adoption of DT maize varieties on total maize production. Data for the study came from a survey of 200 randomly sampled households in two districts of Chiredzi and Chipinge in southeastern Zimbabwe. The study found that 93% of the households were growing improved maize varieties and that 30% of the sampled households were growing DT maize varieties. Total maize yield was 436.5 kg/ha for a household that did not grow DT maize varieties and 680.5 kg/ha for households that grew DT maize varieties. We control for the endogeneity of the DT adoption variable, by using the control function approach to estimate total maize production in a Cobb-Douglas model. The results show that households that grew DT maize varieties had 617 kg/ha more maize than households that did not grow the DT maize varieties. Given that almost all farmers buy their seeds in the market, a change in varieties to DT maize seeds gives an extra income of US$240/ha or more than nine months of food at no additional cost. This has huge implications in curbing food insecurity and simultaneously saving huge amounts of resources at the household and national levels, which are used to buy extra food during the lean season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney Witman Lunduka
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Harare, Zimbabwe
- Corresponding author.
| | - Kumbirai Ivyne Mateva
- The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
| | - Cosmos Magorokosho
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Pepukai Manjeru
- Department of Agronomy, Midlands State University (MSU), Gweru, Zimbabwe
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Holden ST, Fisher M. Subsidies promote use of drought tolerant maize varieties despite variable yield performance under smallholder environments in Malawi. Food Secur 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s12571-015-0511-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Barnabas M, Siza T, Filbert R, Nganga K. Determinants of farm-level decisions regarding cereal crops and varieties in semi-arid central Tanzania. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.5897/ajar2014.8916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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