Climate Adaptive Agriculture: A Smallholders Case Study of the Southwestern Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

AbstractSmallholders’ agricultural production and thus food security in Ethiopia are heavily pressurized from changes in seasonal climate, heavy weather events and associated pests. This directly impacts on the predominantly rural, poor smallholder farmers and their families that are dependent on yields and seed material for annual food security. This paper describes the predominant climate change impacts on the farming systems at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, South-west Ethiopia, an area of supra-regional importance due to its Afromontane cloud forests, its water producing and storing capacity and fertile soils. The paper presents a multi-pillar approach for climate adaptation, enhancement of sustainable and organic agricultural practices and additional sustainable means of income generation for small scale farmers in that specific area with the potential for upscaling. Furthermore, it gives insight to farmers’ profound knowledge of their local context, their needs and challenges, as well as traditional agricultural practices that are resilient to the changing climate. The study and subsequent test piloting were led by the German originated NGO NABU taking into account the local communities’ traditional practices, perceptions and knowledge. The findings are particularly relevant to foster food security, soil protection and agro-biodiversity within the complex and dynamic environments that farmers are dealing with every day.KeywordsSmall scale farmersFood securityAdaptive cropsKafa biosphere reserveClimate changeNABU