Climate-Smart Avocado Farming: A Community-Based Approach to Enhance Adaptation and Resilience

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to promote climate-smart avocado farming among smallholder farmers using a community-based multistakeholder platform. Climate-smart avocado farming aims to increase production, and food security, and reduce risks from erratic weather patterns, aligning with sustainable development goals and enhancing agricultural adaptability. Avocado smallholder farmers and other stakeholders formed a multistakeholder platform to address climate-smart practices and adaptation requirements. Data was collected from a random sample of stakeholders using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression examined factors motivating farmers to join the platform. A logistic regression model was applied to test the relationship between farmers' expected benefits and participating in multi-stakeholder platform activities. The results indicate that avocado farming activities increased as follows: production, and marketing of improved avocado seedlings (19.2%), market information (18.26%), avocado quality and market promotion (18.92%), access to financial services (19.14%), and capacity building in avocado as a climate-smart practice (16.5%). Farmers' participation in multi-stakeholder planning is related to their anticipated social, material, and economic benefits. Higher levels of social and economic rewards resulted in more participation in the joint planning stage (OR = 1.454). Higher levels of predicted economic rewards increase participation (OR = 1.776). The study revealed that capacity building for integrating avocado as a climate-smart practice positively impacts smallholder avocado farmers' farming systems. For farmers to better adapt to climate change and build resilience, the government, investors, and practitioners are necessary. Modifying policies and programs for climate adaptation is essential. The study supports expanding the multi-stakeholder approach for smallholder farmers in promoting climate-smart agricultural innovation and contributes to enhancing Agricultural Innovation System in rural setup.