Coping Strategies Of Farmers Research Articles

Farmers coping strategies to climate change in sustainable Arabica coffee production

Geographical Indications of Gayo Arabica coffee is currently faced with various challenges, including climate change, causing stagnation and, eventually, a decline in productivity. This research aims to determine the strategies adopted by farmers in dealing with climate change, to increase and maintain Gayo coffee productivity. The research was conducted in the Gayo Highlands, particularly in Aceh Tengah, Bener Meriah, and Gayo Lues districts, in three stages, including; (1) a study of the Gayo coffee GI area, (2) climate change study, and (3) a study of farmers’ strategies for dealing with climate change, using field observation surveys and interviews with farmers. The results reveal that the GI of Gayo arabica coffee has been mapped since its designation in 2010. Additionally, both rainfall and temperature have changed since the 1980s, and climate change (particularly temperature) has resulted in habitat shifting for the cultivation of arabica coffee clones, coffee berry borer infestations, and a decrease in coffee productivity. Farmers in the Gayo Arabica coffee GI area address climate change by implementing a strategy to create a microclimate through adaptation and mitigation. These include efforts to adapt coffee clones to their growing habitat, creating a microclimate by planting coffee and denser shade, covering the soil surface to minimize evaporation, and reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide gas and greenhouse gas emissions in the air by using locally sourced organic matter as fertilizer.

Assessing the Smallholder Farmers’ Coping Strategies to the Effects of Climate Change: Evidence in Rural Districts of Northern Uganda

Background: The effects of climate change such as droughts, floods and land degradations normally result into crop failures among smallholder farmers. The effect is more adverse on smallholder farmers of Sub Sharan region owing to its low coping strategies and poverty prevalence. Assessing the smallholder farmers coping strategies to the effects of climate is an evitable thought if we want to develop sustainable coping options and policies to climate change. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of climate change, and assess on how the smallholder farmers coped up with them. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed to generate data from the 360 randomly selected household heads across the nine parishes in the Sub County via a semi- structured questionnaire, interviews schedules to key informants and focus group discussion to smallholder farmer groups. The SPSS tool was used to analyze the effects of climate change and their coping strategies and presented in frequency distribution tables and correlation matrices. Results: The two most widely practiced coping strategies were sales of productive assets and reduction in food consumptions rates among the smallholder farmers. The results from the correlation analysis revealed that there were significant positive correlations between floods, droughts, famines, and sales of productive assets and reduction in consumption rates of food. Conclusion: The findings from the study note that there are several factors that work in synergy to influence the specific coping strategies by smallholder farmers to climate change. This therefore calls for more efforts from government and development partners to strengthen the agricultural extension services by customizing climate information delivery system, allocating more fundings to researchers to engineer climate-tolerant crop and animal resources, investing on water for production projects, renting out idle pieces land to investors by smallholder farmers in order to provide the additional source of earnings.

Responding to harvest failure: Understanding farmers coping strategies in the semi-arid Northern Ghana.

Farmers coping strategies against harvest failures have implication for future adaptation to such shocks. Previous studies on farmers' vulnerability and response to shocks have emphasized on adaptation, at the expense of their coping to such shocks. Using a survey data from 299 farm households in northern Ghana, this study has analyzed farmers' coping strategies against harvest failure, and the drivers of the choice and intensity of the coping strategies. The empirical results show that most of the households used liquidation of productive assets, reduction in consumption, borrowing from family and friends, diversification of livelihoods, and migration to cities for off-farm jobs as coping measures in response to harvest failure. The empirical results from a multivariate probit model indicate that the choice of coping strategies is influenced by farmers' access to radio, net value of livestock produced per man-equivalent (ME), experience of yield loss in the previous year, farmers' perception about the fertility status of their crop fields, access to credit, distance to market, farm-to-farmer extension, location of the respondent, cropland per ME, and access to off-farm income. Empirical results from a zero-truncated negative binomial regression model also indicate that the number of coping strategies adopted increases with the value of farm implements, access to radio, farmer-to-farmer extension and being located in the regional capital. It however decreases with the age of the household head, number of family members abroad, a positive perception about the fertility status of crop fields, access to government extension services, distance to market, and access to off-farm income. Limited access to credit, radio, and markets renders farmers more vulnerable and pushes them to adopt more costly coping strategies. In addition, an increase in income earned from secondary livestock products decreases incentive for farmers to adopt liquidation of productive assets as coping strategy after a harvest failure. Policy makers and stakeholders could make smallholder farmers less vulnerable to harvest failure by enhancing their access to radio, credit, off-farm income and market, promotion of farmer-to-farmer extension, implementing measure to improve the fertility of crop fields in the study area, and enhancing farmers' engagement in the production and selling of secondary livestock products.

Climate Change: Perception and Coping Strategies of farmers in Assam

Climate Change: Perception and Coping Strategies of farmers in Assam

Influence of Poultry Farmers Coping Strategies of High Cost of Feed on Food Security Status in South-west Nigeria

Poultry products have served as one of the cheapest protein source in the Nigeria today making it one of the food ingredients to fight protein malnutrition in the Nigeria economy. The poultry industry also provides a means of living for the Nigerian populace. Recently the poultry industry is facing a serious decline due to the high cost of feed which consist about 75% of total cost of production. This research was conducted to determine the influence of poultry farmers coping strategies of high cost of feed on their food security status in South-West Nigeria. The study population consist of registered poultry farmers with the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in the study area. This study adopted a multi-stage sampling technique to select 575 poultry farmers; though only 515 questionnaires were fitted for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The food security status was captured with the use of Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, while Logit regression was used to analyse the effect of coping strategies of high cost of price of feed on food security status among the poultry farmers. Majority (56.9%) of the poultry farmers were male. Majority of the poultry farmers were found to be young and active with about 81% of them were between the age range of 20 -50 years. A large number of them (45.4%) were found to be severe food insecure. The coping strategies adopted include zero response, use of compounded feed, use of integrated farming, reduce flock size and exiting the poultry business. Access to credit and number of coping strategies adopted were the major variables influencing the food security status of the poultry farmers during the period of high cost of feed.

Flood Coping Strategies of Farmers in the High Lands and Lowlands of Kerala

The study aims to identify and describe the variety of coping strategies used by household’s disaster prone highlands and lowlands of Kerala. A multi stage sampling method was adopted for data collection purpose first stage from districts of Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Wayanad and at the second level, two acutely damaged panchayaths (both in terms of crop damage and area affected) The requisite data were collected through an interview schedule consisting of both open ended and close ended questions. The data collection period was from 02th September 2021 to 30th December 2021 and the interviews were conducted in local language. A total sample size of 520 farmers were selected. Coping Strategies Index for Floods and Landslides were developed for farmers, at individual, community and government level in the highlands and lowlands of Kerala. Results show that to mitigate the negative impacts of natural disasters especially floods, primarily, farmers must be willing to improve their capacity to adapt by adopting new strategies and this depends upon the socio economical context of the farmers, support of the local authorities, and access to technologies. At the government level, policy makers often lack the necessary information on how farmers are being impacted by floods. The adaptive behaviour for coping strategies, varies from region to region. Absence of such critical information becomes a barrier for policy makers in addressing long term nature of climate change and in formulating effective adaptation framework at the local level. Hence concluded that both lowlands and highland area possess different flood coping mechanisms. In highland borrowing of capital after flood was the strategy found whereas in lowland application and usage of more chemical fertilizers and pesticides was the strategy adopted.

Statistical Analysis of Rainfall Variability Effect on Wheat Production and Coping Strategies of Farmers: The Case of Agarfa District, Bale Zone, Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the rainfall variability and its effect on wheat production in Agarfa district for the last sixteen years. Data on rainfall and crop yield for the period 2001-2016 was obtained from Agarfa meteorological station and District Agricultural Offices, respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative research design were used. Purposive sampling method was employed to select 256 respondents’ from five kebeles for interview. The collected data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Quantitative data was analyzed using mean, coefficient of variation, correlation and regression analysis to ascertain the relation, cause and effect relationship between rainfall characteristics and wheat yield. The trend analysis indicated that there was decreasing in rainfall by 4.5278 mm per year in the district over the last sixteen years. The productivity of winter wheat in the farm over the last sixteen years shows the trends of ups and downs which victimized by different climatic elements. The correlation coefficient indicated very strong positive relationship between productivity of wheat and annual rainfall. The regression model also depicts similar situation and corresponding p-value improved that the annual rainfall was the major determinants of wheat production in specified area. Hence, the investigator recommend that the district’s agricultural center and any concerned body should give prior attention to minimize the risks of rainfall variability by using different mechanisms like reforestation, making local meteorology station at nearby, and developing coping strategies of farmers. Keywords: Rainfall variability, wheat production, Agarfa district DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-4-02 Publication date: February 28 th 2021

Vulnerability to changing climate: Locating smallholder farmers coping strategies in drought-prone districts of Cambodia and Nigeria

We investigate how smallholder farmers in drought-prone Koas Krala district, Battambang Province, Cambodia and Nguru district, Yobe State, Nigeria cope with climate stress resulting from the impacts of climate variability and extremes due to drought. Information was collected for this study through a survey of 70 and 116 farm households, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews in the respective districts in Cambodia and Nigeria. The study highlights the constraints faced by the selected communities in responding to climate change. The study reveals that households where an individual can take on one specialized activity, such as employment or handicrafts, in the context of overall diversification of household income, were often less vulnerable than households where each individual is engaged in many activities at low intensity. In practical terms, our results suggest that many households have limited access to their favored coping practices due to a lack of skills, capital and/or labor. This lack of access is compounded by gender differences in roles, responsibilities and capabilities that have led to exclusion of women from carrying out these activities with sufficient intensity. Based on this analysis, policy recommendations have been suggested.

Urban Expansion and the Dynamics of Farmers’ Livelihoods: Evidence from Bamenda, Cameroon

There is growing interest in the need to understand the link between urban expansion and farmers’ livelihoods in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Cameroon. This paper undertakes a qualitative investigation of the effects of urban expansion on farmers’ livelihoods in Bamenda, a primate city in Cameroon. Taking into consideration two key areas—the Mankon–Bafut axis and the Nkwen Bambui axis—this study analyzes the trends and effects of urban expansion on farmers’ livelihoods with a view to identifying ways of making the process more beneficial to the farmers. Maps were used to determine the trend of urban expansion between 2000 and 2015. Twelve farmers drawn from the target sites were interviewed, while three focus group discussions were conducted. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze perceptions of the effects and coping strategies of farmers to urban expansion. Using the livelihoods approach, farmers’ livelihoods repertoires and portfolios were analyzed for the periods before and after urban expansion. Between 2000 and 2015, the surface area for farmlands in Bamenda II and Bamenda III reduced from 3540 ha to 2100 ha and 2943 ha to 1389 ha, respectively. This was followed by a corresponding increase in the surface area for settlements from 2100 ha to 3540 ha in Bamenda II and from 1389 ha to 2943 ha in Bamenda III. The expansion process has affected farmers’ income, farm sizes and farming types, natural capital, and their standards of living. Most of the farmers have employed coping measures to include the diversification of income opportunities, social networking, and agricultural intensification. Future efforts could target land use regulations to stem the uncontrolled rate of settlement expansion, intensive farming to increase productivity and processing to improve the value chain in a bid to increase income levels and provide long-term food self-sufficiency. This paper suggests further quantitative investigations to ground the current assertion.

Assessment of crop farmers coping strategies to pastoralism/nomad activities in Nigeria

AbstractThis study examined the coping strategies of crop farmers to pastoralist activities in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 farmers. The data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and interview and were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The result revealed various levels of damage caused to food security by the pastoralist as follows: compaction of soil (84%), damage and eating of the crops on the field (79%), indiscriminate bush burning leading to fire outbreak on farms (73%), stealing of farm produce by herders (73%), pollution of water points (54%), killing of farmers (13%) and others. The result further revealed the coping strategies used by crop farmers: praying for peace (98%), early harvesting (95%), early planting (92%), multiple farm plots (91%), group farming (90%), relocating farm (77%), police intervention (60%), government intervention (9%), NGO intervention (9%) and insurance (4.2%). The results of Chi-square analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between the educational status (X2= 13.06,P= 0.01) and coping strategies used against pastoralist activities. Therefore, it is recommended that the government should formulate a policy that will stimulate peace among crop farmers and pastoralist to sustain food security and reduce poverty among rural dwellers, thereby transforming the rural environment into an attractive centre.

OVERVIEW OF THE COPING STRATEGY OF FARMERS IN THE FLOOD DISASTER AREA OF WONOASRI VILLAGE, TEMPUREJO DISTRICT, JEMBER REGENCY

Disaster flooding in agricultural areas has potential is causing losses, especially crop failures, such as declining farmer economic conditions and declining productivity levels of crops in the agricultural sector this will affect the coping management of farmers in dealing with these problems. This research aims to describe the coping strategies of farmers in Wonoasri Village, Tempurejo District, Jember Regency. The design of this research was a quantitative descriptive. A total of 290 participants have enrolled in this research by using a simple random sampling technique. This research used the characteristics sheet for farmers and the Questionnaire Brief Cope. The results of this research are coping strategies used by farmers are adaptive coping strategies with a median value of 83,00 Â the highest coping is religious coping, behavioral disengagement and substance use.

Factors Affecting Small Scale Farmers Coping Strategies To Climate Change In Kakamega County In Kenya

Factors Affecting Small Scale Farmers Coping Strategies To Climate Change In Kakamega County In Kenya

Evaluating Farmers’ Perceptions on Causes of Water Scarcity and Coping Strategies: a Case Study Example from Tehsil Karazat District Pishin

This paper probes into the major causes of water scarcity and farmers coping strategies in tehsil Karazat of district Pishin, Balochistan. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. A well-structured questionnaire was constructed to collect primary data from sample respondents. Systematic random sampling technique was used for the selection of sample respondents. This study employed both descriptive analysis and econometric model to quantify the key variables. The econometric model used in this study includes multiple regression model to predict the effects of various factors causing water scarcity. The dependent variable fallow Land other than Current fallow FLOTCF is taken as a proxy for showing the effect of water scarcity. The model results showed that among other variables, family size and lack of government control on tubewells installation significantly affect the dependent variable. While the other variables such as subsidized electricity, awareness about water as a scarce resource, inappropriate cropping pattern, over irrigation of crops and orchards, extensive pumping of groundwater, mass installation of tubewells, the availability of proper water management practices, and lack of water storage reservoirs were though non-significant but influencing the dependent variable as per prior expectations. To meet water scarcity, the farmers’ coping strategies were also analyzed. The results show that among other strategies, changes from flooding to control/basin irrigation was ranked first by the farmers, followed by changes in the irrigation interval, increase in number of tubewells, water courses lining, and installation of delivery pipes at the farm.

Evaluating Farmers’ Perceptions on Causes of Water Scarcity and Coping Strategies: a Case Study Example from Tehsil Karazat District Pishin

This paper probes into the major causes of water scarcity and farmers coping strategies in tehsil Karazat of district Pishin, Balochistan. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. A well-structured questionnaire was constructed to collect primary data from sample respondents. Systematic random sampling technique was used for the selection of sample respondents. This study employed both descriptive analysis and econometric model to quantify the key variables. The econometric model used in this study includes multiple regression model to predict the effects of various factors causing water scarcity. The dependent variable fallow Land other than Current fallow FLOTCF is taken as a proxy for showing the effect of water scarcity. The model results showed that among other variables, family size and lack of government control on tubewells installation significantly affect the dependent variable. While the other variables such as subsidized electricity, awareness about water as a scarce resource, inappropriate cropping pattern, over irrigation of crops and orchards, extensive pumping of groundwater, mass installation of tubewells, the availability of proper water management practices, and lack of water storage reservoirs were though non-significant but influencing the dependent variable as per prior expectations. To meet water scarcity, the farmers’ coping strategies were also analyzed. The results show that among other strategies, changes from flooding to control/basin irrigation was ranked first by the farmers, followed by changes in the irrigation interval, increase in number of tubewells, water courses lining, and installation of delivery pipes at the farm.

Farmers coping strategies for climate shock: Is it differentiated by gender?

Several studies have recognized that the agriculture sector is one of the major contributor to climate change, as well as largely affected adversely by climate change. Agricultural productivity is known to be sensitive to climate change induced effects and it has impact on livelihood of families linked with farming. Thus it is important to understand what are the existing coping strategies that farmer deploy in case of climate shocks like flood and drought and who is involved in making decision relating to these coping strategies. This paper uses the household level data of 641 households from 12 randomly selected villages in Vaishali district of Bihar to understand the household coping mechanisms with emphasis on role of gender. This study has moved away from the conventional division of households by male and female-headed households and thus capturing the intra-household gender dynamics by understanding the role of men and women within the household as decision makers of the coping strategy to manage climate shock. The study uses a multivariate probit model and the results suggest that there is a higher probability that the male farmers will make the decision on choice of the coping strategy. The most prominent coping mechanism is to find alternative employment in urban locations; however, when consumption levels have to be reduced because of climate shock, all family members then contribute to the decision-making process collectively. The results show that exposure to agriculture extension and training programs have a positive influence on choosing appropriate coping mechanisms, but female farmers have poor access to these resources. These policies should look into providing outreach to both male and female farmers in any given locality.

Small holder farmers coping strategies to household food insecurity and hunger in Southern Ethiopia

This study has aimed at examining the small holder farmers’ coping strategies to sustained household food insecurity and hunger in Southern Ethiopia (Sidama Zone). In order to collect the required input data, a comprehensive interview schedule was developed. The data were collected from 614 households who were selected through two-stage probability sampling technique. The association of each predicting variable and the dependent variable (coping strategies), controlling for all confounding factors, was examined using the multivariate analysis. The result revealed that about 54% of the households were facing mild to severe food insecurity, and of which, about 19% fall in household hunger category (as measured by Household Hunger Scale) for more than six months of the year. The study further showed that households in the study area employ a range of coping strategies to respond to the high and sustained food insecurity and hunger, ranging from minimizing the number of meals and amount of food consumption to out-migration of household members during chronic food shortage. The findings of the multivariate analysis using multiple regression technique documented that some demographic and socio-economic variable (such as age of the household head, educational status, access to main social service and others) have associations with the number of coping strategies practiced by the households. Finally, few recommendations were given based on the key findings of the study, which includes promoting income-generating activities, enhancing the micro-financing efficiency, creating employment opportunities at local areas to deter unskilled labor migration, on farm diversification and the like. Key words: Climate change, food insecurity, copying strategies, Southern Ethiopia, Sidama Zone

Coping with Shame of Poverty

Shame experienced due to lack of resources shatter the existence of human beings. This article studies the distress shame experiences and coping strategies of farmers who are in financial crisis. The empirical source of the article is based on qualitative information collected from 179 farmers, and the respective village communities in which these farmers reside, from nine states of India. Study showed that farmers used three styles of coping to deal with shame: problem-oriented, self-oriented and others’ perception oriented. While problem-oriented and self-oriented approach are similar to the traditional coping styles, others’ perception-oriented approach is an additional category discovered based on the paradoxical nature of shame. The article argues that the heavy emphasis on problem-oriented coping with shame of poverty helps the farmers to maintain positive mental health in the midst of crisis.

Coping and resilience in farming families affected by drought

The present study was a qualitative investigation of the impact of drought on rural families of southern New South Wales, Australia, with particular emphasis on the concept of resilience in times of stress. The aim was to provide insight, from a psychological perspective, into the experiences of rural farmers in a time of adversity, and to identify the coping resources utilized by these farming families. Participants were 11 members of five families from Blighty, a small farming town in the Riverina district, experiencing drought and decreased water allocation to their local area. Family members were interviewed on two separate occasions at their farms. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that a wide range of coping strategies were being utilized by these families from problem-focussed coping, optimism and positive appraisal to less adaptive strategies such as cognitive dissonance, denial and avoidance of negative social influences. A significant finding was the discovery of a range of collective coping strategies used by the families in this study and the reliance on social capital as an adaptive resource. There were signs, however, that social cohesion of this community had become compromised due to competition for resources. The adaptive coping mechanisms traditionally employed by these farming families are starting to weaken and urgent work to enhance the individual coping strategies of farmers is needed. Furthermore, Government needs to recognise the importance of social capital as a coping resource that will enable farming families to adapt and survive drought conditions into the future. Providing financial assistance to support current community initiatives and collective coping strategies may prove more beneficial to farmers than allocating inadequate amounts of funding to individual farming families.