Nyberg, Ylva
(2020).
Smallholder farm management and priorities : balancing productivity, livelihood, climate adaptation and ecosystem services.
Diss. (sammanfattning/summary)
Sveriges lantbruksuniv.,
Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae, UNSPECIFIED
; 2020:42
ISBN 978-91-7760-602-4
eISBN 978-91-7760-603-1
[Doctoral thesis]
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PDF (Errata inserted after title page)
6MB |
Abstract
Smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa are highly vulnerable to climate change, but also have good potential for improving production. This thesis examined how Kenyan smallholders manage their farming systems to adapt to rainfall variability and improve productivity, while also maintaining sustainable delivery of multiple ecosystem services. The study covered a gradient from Kisumu by Lake Victoria to Trans Nzoia in the Highlands. Awareness and use of adaptation and coping measures were studied through group and individual interviews. Effects of tree and livestock density on ecosystem services and farm priorities were explored on 20 farms. The influence of the Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project was assessed, using uptake of sustainable land management practices, maize yield, food self-sufficiency and savings as indicators.
Smallholder farmers were aware of local climate change and measures that can assist in adaptation, but uptake of these measures was limited by lack of money, knowledge and labour. Men had higher education, better access to advisory services and more time for social networks, and used more adaptation measures than, especially, low-educated women. Farmers with access to regular advisory services used greater numbers of more effective measures. Maize yield was positively related to terracing and inclusion of trees (agroforestry). Higher tree density increased the workload, but also the proportion of onfarm income, and trees were important for cultural ecosystem services.
Thus smallholders will not adopt more sustainable practices unless they have the means (labour, land, capital) and the knowledge that the benefits will exceed the costs. A holistic and inclusive advisory approach, focusing on low-educated women and promoting synergistic measures, diversified farming systems and means to overcome barriers to adoption of sustainable practices, could help smallholders balance adaptation, productivity and other ecosystem services for a sustainable livelihood.
Authors/Creators: | Nyberg, Ylva |
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Title: | Smallholder farm management and priorities : balancing productivity, livelihood, climate adaptation and ecosystem services |
Series Name/Journal: | Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae |
Year of publishing : | 2020 |
Number: | 2020:42 |
Number of Pages: | 111 |
Publisher: | Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
ISBN for printed version: | 978-91-7760-602-4 |
ISBN for electronic version: | 978-91-7760-603-1 |
Language: | English |
Publication Type: | Doctoral thesis |
Article category: | Other scientific |
Version: | Published version |
Full Text Status: | Public |
Subjects: | (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 4 Agricultural Sciences > 405 Other Agricultural Sciences > Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 4 Agricultural Sciences > 405 Other Agricultural Sciences > Other Agricultural Sciences not elsewhere specified |
Keywords: | advisory service, coping, gender, indicators, KACP, Kenya, labour, learning source, limitation, sustainable |
URN:NBN: | urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-107151 |
Permanent URL: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-107151 |
ID Code: | 17437 |
Faculty: | NJ - Fakulteten för naturresurser och jordbruksvetenskap |
Department: | (NL, NJ) > Dept. of Crop Production Ecology |
Deposited By: | SLUpub Connector |
Deposited On: | 25 Aug 2020 07:19 |
Metadata Last Modified: | 15 Jan 2021 19:44 |
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