Special Issue "Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irene Blanco-Gutiérrez
E-Mail Website
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
E-Mail Website
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 papers will be 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 1900 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 (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change and Adaptation Practices for Maize Production in Eastern Ethiopia
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9622; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179622 (registering DOI) - 26 Aug 2021
Viewed by 195
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 [...] Read more.
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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Article
Climate Change Impacts on Rice Cultivation: A Comparative Study of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8979; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168979 - 11 Aug 2021
Viewed by 575
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 [...] Read more.
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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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Impact of Farmer managed natural regeneration on resilience and welfare in Mali
Authors: Ephraim Nkonya; Edward Kato; Carolyn Kabore
Affiliation: Nonresident Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute. Senior Analyst, International Food Policy Research Institute. Senior Advisor Operational Research Food & Livelihoods Security, World Vision International
Abstract: Considering Mali vulnerability to climate change and limited coping mechanisms of the poor farmers, this study was done to determine the impact of low-cost adaptation strategies on resilience and welfare. We analyzed the impact of a World Vision project which promoted climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices in Mali from 2016-2019. We identified the impact using a two-stage weighted regression (2SWR). Results show that the World Vision project significantly increased the adoption of farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) practice and eventually crop yield. These intermediate impacts were translated into significant reduction of food insecurity and increase in household income. Additionally, the project significantly reduced the under five-year child stunting, wasting, underweight and increased mid-upper circumference (MUAC). The impacts of the project on child health were especially greater for farmers who participated in the project for a longer time. However, the project did not have significant impact on adoption of a combination of CSA practices – which could have enhanced the effectiveness of the FMNR practice. The results suggest the need for future interventions to emphasize promotion of complementary CSA practices, which significantly increases returns to farmer investments. JEL Classification: Q540; O32 Keywords: Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), climate-smart agriculture (CSA), Climate Change, vulnerability, Sahelian, Mali.

Title: Climate change and Lithuania’s livestock farms: awareness and reactions, an explorative study
Authors: Calciolari F.; Novikova A.; Rocchi L.
Affiliation: University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74 06121 Perugia, Italy. Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio str. 58, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Abstract: Scientists generally acknowledge that the agricultural sector contributes significantly to climate change. In particular, livestock sector produces about two thirds of the total GHG emissions generated from all production processes located within the farm gate. On the other hand, climate change affects agriculture and zootechny. There is abundant literature on the measures that could be adopted by the farmers to mitigate climate change effects and to adapt their activity to the changes. Nonetheless, these studies focus predominantly on Africa and Asia. Fewer studies involve Europe and the Nordic areas, whilst Baltic countries are not considered at all. This study aims at analyzing livestock holders’ perception of the climate change and verifying whether and why they adopt mitigation and/or adaptation techniques in relation to it, and the limitations that delay the spread of measures. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among a livestock holdings’ sample in Lithuania, provided either directly to the farmers or conducted via email. The results showed that 87% of the respondents were aware of climate change, but only 42% of them had implemented any related measures. Besides the economic reasons, significant percentage of the latter referred to the lack of information. The findings have suggested that the holders from the regions where livestock production is not very economically advanced and with a small number of animals 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.

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