This study examines the influence of farmers’ social capital on their decisions to deal with climate change and climate variability in Burkina Faso. The study is based on a household survey conducted among 450 households, randomly selected from three communities in Burkina Faso. Two indexes were constructed to capture farmers’ structural and cognitive social capital; and using generalized Poisson regression (GPR) and a multivariate probit model, the study probes the effect of farmers’ social capital on their choice of adaptation alternatives, the number of adaptation practices used, and the extent to which adaptation measures were applied. The results indicated that the effect of social capital depends on the type of indicator used and on the type of adaptation strategies necessary. Farmers’ cognitive social capital was significantly and positively related to their choice of soil and water conservation techniques (SWCT), and techniques such as agroforestry and irrigation. Structural social capital, on the other hand, was positively associated with the adoption of new varieties and conservation tillage strategies and negatively associated with the use of a crop-diversification strategy. The results also highlighted that socio-economic, institutional and agro-ecological variables determine farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change.
De nombreux agriculteurs africains pratiquent des formes d'agriculture potentiellement qualifiables de "?biologiques?". Pourtant, la capacité de l'agriculture biologique à répondre aux enjeux de la sécurité alimentaire en Afrique est encore mal connue, car il existe peu de références expérimentales disponibles...
Cette publication offre de nombreux exemples concrets détaillant différentes manières de réengager les jeunes dans le secteur agricole. Elle montre à quel point des programmes éducationnels sur mesure peuvent offrir aux jeunes les compétences et la perspicacité nécessaires pour se...
Selon Olivier De Schutter, l’agroécologie peut doubler la production alimentaire en 10 ans, tout en réduisant la pauvreté rurale et en apportant des solutions au changement climatique. Au Burkina Faso, des initiatives et projets agroécologiques voient le jour. Ce reportage...
Background
Smallholder farmers in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks but often lack access to agricultural insurance. Weather index insurance (WII) could reduce some of the problems associated with traditional, indemnity-based insurance programs, but uptake has been lower...
This study aims to contribute to literature on climate smart agriculture (CSA) scaling by identifying institutional and policy strategies that can help effect scaling of CSA practices in developing regions particularly SSA region. Increased adoption rates are more likely to...