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

Regions
  • Western Africa
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Africa
  • World
From World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
Publication year 2016
Publication authors
  • Douxchamps S
  • van Wijk M T
  • Silvestri S
  • Moussa A
  • Quiros C
  • Ndour N Y B
  • Buah S
  • Some L
  • Herrero M
  • Kristjanson P M
  • Ouedraogo M
  • Thornton P K
  • van Asten P J A
  • Zougmorz R
  • Rufino M C
Publication Type Scientific Publication
Full Citation Douxchamps S et al., 'Linking agricultural adaptation strategies, food security and vulnerability: evidence from West Africa', 2016
Open original

Abstract

Adaptation strategies to reduce smallholder farmers’vulnerability toclimate variability and seasonality 38 are needed given the frequency of extreme weather events predicted to increase during the next 39 decades in Sub-­?Saharan Africa, particularly in West Africa. We explored the linkages between selected 40 agricultural adaptation strategies (crop diversity, soil and water conservation, trees on farm, small 41 ruminants, improved crop varieties, fertilizers),food security, farm household characteristics and farm 42 productivity in three contrasting agro-­?ecological sites in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal). 43Differences in land area per capita and land productivity largely explained the variation in food security 44across sites.Based on land size and market orientation, four household types were distinguished 45 (subsistence, diversified,extensive, intensified),with contrasting levels of food security and agricultural 46 adaptation strategies.Income increased steadily with land size, and both income and land productivity 47 increased with degree of market orientation. The adoption of agricultural adaptation strategies was 48 widespread, although the intensity of practice varied across household types. Adaptation strategies 49 improve the food security status of some households, but not all. Some strategies had a significant 50 positive impact on land productivity, while others reduced vulnerability resulting in a more stable cash 51 flow throughout the year.Our results show that for different household types,different adaptation 52 strategies may be climate-­?smart’. The typology developed in this study gives a good entry point to 53 analyse which practices should be targeted to which type of smallholder farmers, and quantifies the 54 effect of adaptation options on household food security. Subsequently, it will be crucial to empower 55 farmers to access, test and modify these adaptation options, if they were to achieve higher levels of 56 food security