Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa

In developing regions with high levels of poverty and a dependence on climate sensitive agriculture, studies focusing on climate change adaptation, planning, and policy processes, have gained relative importance over the years. This study assesses the impact of farmer perceptions regarding climate c...

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Autores principales: Makate, Clifton, Makate, Marshall, Mango, Nelson
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: MDPI 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/80447
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author Makate, Clifton
Makate, Marshall
Mango, Nelson
author_browse Makate, Clifton
Makate, Marshall
Mango, Nelson
author_facet Makate, Clifton
Makate, Marshall
Mango, Nelson
author_sort Makate, Clifton
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In developing regions with high levels of poverty and a dependence on climate sensitive agriculture, studies focusing on climate change adaptation, planning, and policy processes, have gained relative importance over the years. This study assesses the impact of farmer perceptions regarding climate change on the use of sustainable agricultural practices as an adaptation strategy in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa. In this empirical approach, we adopt methods that account for the plausibility that unmeasured characteristics exist, which are correlated with perceptions and the adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices. We use a unique and representative dataset collected in December 2012 and June 2013, from smallholder farmers in the Chinyanja Triangle. The results indicate that farmer’s perceptions significantly influence the use of sustainable agricultural practices. Specifically, we established that farmer perceptions considerably impact the use of grain legume rotations, inorganic fertilizers, compost, and farmyard manure. Our results highlight the need for a serious and perhaps equal consideration of farmer perceptions regarding climate change, as important inputs to climate change adaptation policies targeted at enhancing climatic resilience in smallholder farming communities. This is plausible as the adaptation and pliability of farmers to the effects of climate change should be a social process involving the collective efforts from various stakeholders.
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spelling CGSpace804472025-03-13T09:45:21Z Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa Makate, Clifton Makate, Marshall Mango, Nelson climate change adaptation farmers sustainable agriculture smallholders adaptación al cambio climático agricultura sostenible In developing regions with high levels of poverty and a dependence on climate sensitive agriculture, studies focusing on climate change adaptation, planning, and policy processes, have gained relative importance over the years. This study assesses the impact of farmer perceptions regarding climate change on the use of sustainable agricultural practices as an adaptation strategy in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa. In this empirical approach, we adopt methods that account for the plausibility that unmeasured characteristics exist, which are correlated with perceptions and the adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices. We use a unique and representative dataset collected in December 2012 and June 2013, from smallholder farmers in the Chinyanja Triangle. The results indicate that farmer’s perceptions significantly influence the use of sustainable agricultural practices. Specifically, we established that farmer perceptions considerably impact the use of grain legume rotations, inorganic fertilizers, compost, and farmyard manure. Our results highlight the need for a serious and perhaps equal consideration of farmer perceptions regarding climate change, as important inputs to climate change adaptation policies targeted at enhancing climatic resilience in smallholder farming communities. This is plausible as the adaptation and pliability of farmers to the effects of climate change should be a social process involving the collective efforts from various stakeholders. 2017 2017-03-21T21:19:47Z 2017-03-21T21:19:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/80447 en Open Access MDPI Makate, Clifton; Makate, Marshall; Mango, Nelson. 2017. Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa. Social Sciences. 6(1): 30.
spellingShingle climate change adaptation
farmers
sustainable agriculture
smallholders
adaptación al cambio climático
agricultura sostenible
Makate, Clifton
Makate, Marshall
Mango, Nelson
Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa
title Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa
title_full Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa
title_fullStr Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa
title_full_unstemmed Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa
title_short Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa
title_sort smallholder farmers perceptions on climate change and the use of sustainable agricultural practices in the chinyanja triangle southern africa
topic climate change adaptation
farmers
sustainable agriculture
smallholders
adaptación al cambio climático
agricultura sostenible
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/80447
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