Journal
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
Volume 16, Issue 4, Pages 1215-1224Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s10113-015-0842-x
Keywords
Dryland agriculture; Seed choices; Climate change
Categories
Funding
- ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy
- ESRC [ES/K006576/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- Economic and Social Research Council [ES/K006576/1] Funding Source: researchfish
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Getting farmers to adopt new cultivars with greater tolerance for coping with climatic extremes and variability is considered as one way of adapting agricultural production to climate change. However, for successful adaptation to occur, an accurate recognition and understanding of the climate signal by key stakeholders (farmers, seed suppliers and agricultural extension services) is an essential precursor. This paper presents evidence based on fieldwork with smallholder maize producers and national seed network stakeholders in Malawi from 2010 to 2011, assessing understandings of rainfall changes and decision-making about maize cultivar choices. Our findings show that preferences for short-season maize cultivars are increasing based on perceptions that season lengths are growing shorter due to climate change and the assumption that growing shorter-season crops represents a good strategy for adapting to drought. However, meteorological records for the two study areas present no evidence for shortening seasons (or any significant change to rainfall characteristics), suggesting that short-season cultivars may not be the most suitable adaptation option for these areas. This demonstrates the dangers of oversimplified climate information in guiding changes in farmer decision-making about cultivar choice.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available