Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks

Climate-related variability in crop production and market price variability affect food and income security of Uganda's rural households. We used household surveys from two contrasting sites in Uganda to quantify the relationships between crop production variability, adaptation strategies and househ...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Wichern, Jannike, Hammond, James, Wijk, Mark T. van, Giller, Kenneth E., Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/129612
_version_ 1855537800714125312
author Wichern, Jannike
Hammond, James
Wijk, Mark T. van
Giller, Kenneth E.
Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
author_browse Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
Giller, Kenneth E.
Hammond, James
Wichern, Jannike
Wijk, Mark T. van
author_facet Wichern, Jannike
Hammond, James
Wijk, Mark T. van
Giller, Kenneth E.
Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
author_sort Wichern, Jannike
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Climate-related variability in crop production and market price variability affect food and income security of Uganda's rural households. We used household surveys from two contrasting sites in Uganda to quantify the relationships between crop production variability, adaptation strategies and household resource characteristics. Variability of production was large for all crops with almost doubling of yields under good conditions and halving of yields in bad years. Ex-post adaptation strategies were common, and the most frequent were relying on off-farm income, selling livestock, and reducing food consumption. Using off-farm income or selling livestock to compensate for crop damage were not feasible for 25–50% of the population. Few households applied ex-ante adaptation strategies, and those who did used strategies that required little financial investment, such as switching crops. The restricted application of ex-ante adaptation strategies and the fact that major ex-post adaptation strategies were inaccessible for large parts of the population is alarming considering that climate change studies show that weather variability and extreme weather events are expected to worsen and to jeopardize crop production. Interventions must aim to reduce households' sensitivity to variability in crop production and prices by increased preparedness to shocks, strengthening the asset base, and diversifying the livelihood portfolio. Social protection programmes are important for the poor who have no means to cushion effects from climate or price variability.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace129612
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher Elsevier
publisherStr Elsevier
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1296122025-10-26T13:02:55Z Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks Wichern, Jannike Hammond, James Wijk, Mark T. van Giller, Kenneth E. Descheemaeker, Katrien K. climate adaptation smallholders production strategies climate variability Climate-related variability in crop production and market price variability affect food and income security of Uganda's rural households. We used household surveys from two contrasting sites in Uganda to quantify the relationships between crop production variability, adaptation strategies and household resource characteristics. Variability of production was large for all crops with almost doubling of yields under good conditions and halving of yields in bad years. Ex-post adaptation strategies were common, and the most frequent were relying on off-farm income, selling livestock, and reducing food consumption. Using off-farm income or selling livestock to compensate for crop damage were not feasible for 25–50% of the population. Few households applied ex-ante adaptation strategies, and those who did used strategies that required little financial investment, such as switching crops. The restricted application of ex-ante adaptation strategies and the fact that major ex-post adaptation strategies were inaccessible for large parts of the population is alarming considering that climate change studies show that weather variability and extreme weather events are expected to worsen and to jeopardize crop production. Interventions must aim to reduce households' sensitivity to variability in crop production and prices by increased preparedness to shocks, strengthening the asset base, and diversifying the livelihood portfolio. Social protection programmes are important for the poor who have no means to cushion effects from climate or price variability. 2023 2023-03-10T14:41:32Z 2023-03-10T14:41:32Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/129612 en Open Access Elsevier Wichern, Jannike; Hammond, James; Wijk, Mark T. van; Giller, Ken E.; Descheemaeker, Katrien. 2023. Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks. Climate Risk Management 40: 100490
spellingShingle climate
adaptation
smallholders
production
strategies
climate variability
Wichern, Jannike
Hammond, James
Wijk, Mark T. van
Giller, Kenneth E.
Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks
title Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks
title_full Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks
title_fullStr Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks
title_full_unstemmed Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks
title_short Production variability and adaptation strategies of Ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks
title_sort production variability and adaptation strategies of ugandan smallholders in the face of climate variability and market shocks
topic climate
adaptation
smallholders
production
strategies
climate variability
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/129612
work_keys_str_mv AT wichernjannike productionvariabilityandadaptationstrategiesofugandansmallholdersinthefaceofclimatevariabilityandmarketshocks
AT hammondjames productionvariabilityandadaptationstrategiesofugandansmallholdersinthefaceofclimatevariabilityandmarketshocks
AT wijkmarktvan productionvariabilityandadaptationstrategiesofugandansmallholdersinthefaceofclimatevariabilityandmarketshocks
AT gillerkennethe productionvariabilityandadaptationstrategiesofugandansmallholdersinthefaceofclimatevariabilityandmarketshocks
AT descheemaekerkatrienk productionvariabilityandadaptationstrategiesofugandansmallholdersinthefaceofclimatevariabilityandmarketshocks