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Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2021) | Viewed by 19978

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irene Blanco-Gutiérrez

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Economics, Statistics and Business Management, School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid 28040, Spain
Interests: food and agricultural policy; sustainable development; water management; climate change; circular economy

Dr. Rhys Manners

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Guest Editor

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), KG 563 Kigali, Rwanda
Interests: sustainable development; climate change; agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is having far-reaching adverse effects on agricultural production and is placing food security at risk. An increasing number of countries and communities are developing adaptation activities to respond to these impacts and to reduce the vulnerabilities associated with climate change. The wise adoption of adaptive agricultural practices, such as crop diversification/rotation or improved tillage methods, can create a more climate resilience systems and, simultaneously, provide co-benefits towards multiple goals (soil conservation, water quality protection, rural economic development, etc.).

Enhancing adaptation capacity is considered to be essential for the survival of the agricultural sector in many parts of the world. However, such capacities are place-and context-specific, and therefore no single adaptation method can be used across all settings. Despite some progress, the adaptations and methods taken so far are insufficient to address the long-term impacts of climate change. Much more needs to be done to understand how agricultural adaptation can be supported. Robust and transparent assessment approaches should be developed to help adaptation planners and practitioners identify the most appropriate interventions. To be effective, this should be done in collaboration with stakeholders following an iterative process of social learning and change.

The aim of this Special Issue is to share the latest developments in agricultural adaptation practices, tools, and policies. We invite original research articles and review papers in the following topics:

Advantages and limitations of different adaptation frameworks
Innovative and integrated approaches to agriculture adaptation planning
Assessment of agricultural adaptation options, as well as the costs and benefits of adaptation
Effectiveness of adaptation measures, as well as lessons learned and good practices
Integral role of institutions, governance, and management in determining the ability of agriculture to adapt to climate change
Barriers hindering agricultural systems’ adaptation
Drivers and enabling factors promoting agricultural adaptation
Links between adaptation and mitigation action, and the co-benefits and trade-offs between adaptation and mitigation
Cross- or multi-sectoral adaptation issues.

Dr. Irene Blanco-Gutiérrez
Dr. Rhys Manners
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

climate change
adaptation strategies
adaptive capacity
agriculture
co-benefits
trade-offs
barriers
enablers
policy
modelling
social learning
stakeholders

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2671 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Impact of Climate Resilient Technologies in Minimizing Drought Impacts on Farm Incomes in Drylands

by Josily Samuel, Chitiprolu Anantha Rama Rao, Bellapukonda Murali Krishna Raju, Anugu Amarender Reddy, Pushpanjali, Ardha Gopala Krishna Reddy, Ramaraju Nagarjuna Kumar, Mohammed Osman, Vinod Kumar Singh and Jasti Venkata Naga Satya Prasad

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010382 - 30 Dec 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3958

Abstract

Asia is the region most vulnerable to climate change and India is ranked as one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world, frequently affected by natural disasters. In this study, we investigated the impact of drought on crop productivity, farmer’s employment and income. The difference-in-difference model (DID) and stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) were employed to quantify the impact of adopting climate resilient technologies (CRTs) on farm household income during a drought. The factors influencing farm incomes were analyzed using MLR. The study used survey data collected from the drought prone district of Telangana, India. Sixty farmers each from a village adopted under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) program and a control village were interviewed. Primary data on the socio-economic characteristic of farmers, cropping pattern, income composition, productivity of major crops, employment and climate resilient interventions adopted by farmers were collected using a well-structured schedule. The results reveal that income crop cultivation was the major contributor to household income (60%) followed by livestock rearing. Farmers reported that droughts decreased the income from crops by 54 per cent and income from livestock rearing by 40 per cent. The farmers belonging to the climate resilient village had 35 per cent higher incomes compared to those in the control village and it was estimated to be Rs. 31,877/farm household/year during droughts using the DID estimate. Farm size, livestock possession, adoption of CRTs and investment in agriculture were the determining factors influencing farm income. Thus, farmers especially in drought prone regions need to be encouraged and supported to adopt cost effective, location specific climate resilient technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change)

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13 pages, 1381 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Change and Lithuania’s Livestock Farms: Awareness and Reactions, an Explorative Study

by Francesco Calciolari, Anastasija Novikova and Lucia Rocchi

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10567; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910567 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2553

Abstract

Climate change is a global issue widely recognized by the European population. Researchers generally acknowledge that the agricultural sector contributes significantly to climate change. The livestock sector produces about two thirds of the total Greenhouse gasses emissions (GHG) generated from all farm production processes. On the other hand, climate change affects agriculture and zootechny in multiple ways. There is abundant literature on the measures that could be adopted by the farmers to mitigate the climate change effects and adapt their activity to the changes. Nonetheless, these studies focus predominantly on Africa and Asia, and fewer studies involve Europe and Nordic areas. This study aims at analyzing livestock holders’ perception of climate change, verifying whether and why they adopt mitigation and/or adaptation techniques, and identifying the limitations that delay the spread of these measures. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among a livestock holdings sample in Lithuania. The findings have suggested that the holders with a small number of animals, situated in the regions where livestock production is not very economically advanced, have difficulties in adopting the climate-change-related measures because they do not have sufficient funds to implement them and are not aware of the possibilities for such measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change)

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15 pages, 1201 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Farmers’ Perceived Vulnerability and Proactive versus Reactive Climate Change Adaptation in Chile’s Maule Region

by Alejandra Engler, Marieke L. Rotman and P. Marijn Poortvliet

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9907; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179907 - 3 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2832

Abstract

Changes in climatic conditions are unavoidable and irreversible and an early and effective adaptation in farming systems will be vital for resilient agriculture. Although the extant literature has described factors that explain climate change adaptation, the roles of proactive versus reactive adaptation related to perceived vulnerability are still underexplored. The aim of our study was to open a new angle of discussion by linking farmers’ perceptions of vulnerability with their adaptation response, and exploring the dynamic of such a relationship. Semi-structured interviews with farmers were held in the Maule Region of central Chile (n = 36). The interview included questions o about main agricultural challenges, perceptions of climate change and its impact, adaptation strategies, and perceptions of vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity, and ability to adapt. In order to interpret the interview data, a content analysis procedure was followed. The results indicate that farmers respond differently by either engaging in proactive or reactive adaptation behavior. Furthermore, the patterns of either proactive or reactive adaptation behavior can be explained by structural factors and social and human capital. While structural factors, such as production systems and financial capital, explain engaging in adaptation to climate change, social and human capital act as enhancing factors that explain proactive adaptation. Future policies on adaptation behavior should focus on promoting proactive forms of adaptation behavior by developing and enhancing social connections and access to information, as well as on the provision of financial schemes to enable efficient and effective adaptation within the agricultural sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change)

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21 pages, 3853 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change and Adaptation Practices for Maize Production in Eastern Ethiopia

by Helen Teshome, Kindie Tesfaye, Nigussie Dechassa, Tamado Tana and Matthew Huber

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9622; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179622 - 26 Aug 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4403

Abstract

Climate change and variability is affecting maize (Zea mays L.) production in eastern Ethiopia but how farmers perceive the challenge and respond to it is not well documented. A study was conducted to analyze smallholder maize farmers’ perception of climate change/variability and identify their adaptation approaches and barriers for adaptation in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia. Meteorological data were assessed to provide evidence of the perceived change. A survey was conducted in six major maize-producing kebeles with a total of 364 respondents. A multi-stage sampling method was employed for selecting the sample units for the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multinomial logit model. The results indicated that 78% of the sampled smallholder maize farmers perceived increasing temperatures while 83% perceived decreasing amounts of rainfall. About 75% of the farmers indicated that they became aware of climate change and variability from their own experience and perceived deforestation as the main cause. The farmers perceived that drought, diseases and pests, dwindling soil fertility, and declining crop yields were the major impacts of climate change that affected maize production. The farmers’ major adaptation practices include adjusting planting dates, using improved maize varieties, intercropping, recommended mineral fertilizers, supplementary irrigation, and soil and water conservation measures. Econometric analysis revealed that low educational level, shortage of land, large family sizes, age, lack of access to irrigation water, lack of access to credit, and lack of access to extension services were the most important barriers to climate change adaptation in the area. It is concluded that farmers cultivating maize in the study area have perceived climate change and use certain adaptation strategies to counter its negative impacts on maize production. This implies that policies should be geared towards strengthening farmers’ efforts to adapt to climate change and alleviate the existing barriers in promoting adaptation strategies for enhancing the productivity of maize. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change)

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18 pages, 4638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Change Impacts on Rice Cultivation: A Comparative Study of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River

by Serey Sok, Nyda Chhinh, Sanara Hor and Pheakdey Nguonphan

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8979; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168979 - 11 Aug 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4759

Abstract

Climate change is unequivocal. Farmers are increasingly vulnerable to floods and drought. In this article, the negative impact of climate hazards on rice cultivation in the Tonle Sap and Mekong River influenced by climatic variability between 1994 and 2018 are analyzed. A cohort of 536 households from four Cambodian districts participated in household surveys designed to consider how various vulnerability factors interacted across this time series. It was found that: (i) The major climate hazards affecting rice production between 1994 and 2018 were frequent and extreme flood and drought events caused by rainfall variability; (ii) In 2018, extreme flood and drought occurred in the same rice cultivation cycle. The impact caused by each hazard across each region were similar; (iii) An empirical model was used to demonstrate that drought events tend to limit access to irrigation, impact rice production, and result in an increased prevalence of water-borne diseases. Flood events cause reduced rice production, damage to housing, and impede children from accessing education. The impact of drought events on rice production was found to be more severe than flood events; however, each climatic hazard caused physical, economic, social, and environmental vulnerabilities. It is recommended that sufficient human and financial resources are distributed to local authorities to implement adaptation measures that prepare rice farmers for flood and drought events and promote equitable access to water resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change)

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