Abstract
PurposeThis paper aims to produce a framework for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in the Yangambi landscape, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This would enable the authors to identify agricultural practices, assess vulnerability to climate change, identify options for improving agricultural systems from a climate change mitigation and adaptation perspective and finally provide climate-smart agricultural options.Design/methodology/approachThe study used household survey methods of data collection. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire survey by interviewing 250 farm households, subdivided using three axes of the Yangambi landscape. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine relationships between two or more variables.FindingsResults of the survey revealed that the vast majority (98%) of respondents perceived changes in temperature, rainfall and weather patterns. Reduction of crop yields and the emergence of new weed species and new crop pests are the main impacts on agricultural activities. Although 87.6% of respondents have no means of adaptation and resilience, some of them use crops rotation, fallow practice, fertilizers and bio-pesticides. A framework for CSA is proposed for the Yangambi landscape.Practical implicationsPolicies and strategies to promote CSA in the study area should take into account local farmers' perceptions of climate change and consider first the adequacy of CSA practices for the specific conditions of the target area before its promotion. This study is thus useful for many REDD+ initiatives that are currently being promoted in DRC and particularly in the Tshopo Province.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first studies to focus on CSA in the Yangambi landscape, DRC. It assists the use of agriculture as a response to reducing deforestation while at the same time lowering agriculture’s carbon footprint and promoting a resilient and more productive farming system.
Highlights
Climate change is already hampering agricultural activities
Rural areas are the most vulnerable (IPCC, 2007; Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2016). This vulnerability is greater in Congo Basin countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (Sonwa et al, 2012; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2018), where about 70% of the population live in rural areas and depend on rain-fed slash-and-burn agriculture to live (Ulimwengu and Kibonge, 2016)
The study was carried out in nine sites distributed along three axes in the Yangambi landscape: Yangambi–Ngazi road axis, Yangambi center and Kisangani– Yangambi road axis (Table 1)
Summary
Climate change is already hampering agricultural activities. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change affects crop production, with negative effects more common than positive (IPCC, 2014). Africa is the most vulnerable continent because of its heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture (IPCC, 2007), widespread poverty, low adaptive capacity and lack of investment in mitigation and resilience-building systems (Bele et al, 2010; Williams et al, 2015). Farmers have learned to adapt to climate variability, but given the pace and intensity of current and future climate change, their actions are no longer sufficient (Bele et al, 2010). Rural areas are the most vulnerable (IPCC, 2007; FAO, 2016) This vulnerability is greater in Congo Basin countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (Sonwa et al, 2012; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2018), where about 70% of the population live in rural areas and depend on rain-fed slash-and-burn agriculture to live (Ulimwengu and Kibonge, 2016). Economic opportunities are scarce and more than 80% of households live below the poverty line (CIFOR, 2018a)
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