Consistencies in expert and scientific knowledge about management practices that reduce the impacts of
extreme events on smallholder farming systems in Costa Rica
Bautista-Solís, P1., Vignola, R1., Harvey, C2., Avelino, J3., Martínez, R2., Trevejo, L1., Chacón, M2., Rapidel, B4.
Introduction
Coffee and basic grains (beans and maize) smallholder farmers in Central America are highly
vulnerable to extreme weather events. The impacts of such events have caused total loss of
crops, delay or reduce flowering, stunt plant growth, and pest and disease outbreaks,
reducing overall agricultural yields and household incomes. Climate models indicate that the
frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events in Central America will increase as a
consequence of climate change [1]. Thus, research must be mobilized to help smallholder
farmers, being among the most vulnerable, to prepare for using the limited assets at their
disposal for strengthening their adaptive capacity.
Ecosystem-based Adaptation options (EbA) offers the potential to help reduce farmer
vulnerability to extreme weather events and enhance the overall resiliency of the farming
systems. EbA refers to the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall
adaptation strategy that helps people to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. The
use of EbA in agricultural systems and landscapes could provide opportunities for meeting the
challenge of feeding the world’s population, achieving sustainable development and
enhancing the resilience of agroecosystems to climate change. However, in spite of growing
interest in EbA strategies worldwide, there is little information available on what farm
management practices can function as EbA for smallholder farmers.
Objective
The overall objective of this study was to understand the types of adaptation strategies being
employed by smallholder farmers (coffee and basic grains) to reduce their vulnerability to
extreme events, identifying those which are EbA options.
Table 1. Top ten most frequently referred management practices for reducing the negative
impacts of extreme weather events.
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Legend:
Literature review
Regional experts
National experts
Shade management
Shade management
Shade management
Conservation tillage
Live barriers
Tolerant materials
Agroforestry systems Tolerant materials
Live barriers
Mixed cropping
Reforestation
Contour ploughing
Alley cropping
Mixed cropping
Terraces
Cover crops
Conservation tillage
Vegetated soil
Mulching
Anti-erosion ditches
Soil and water conservation practices
Crop rotations
Soil amendments
Windbreaks
Tolerant materials
Contour ploughing
Drainage management
Agrobiodiversity
Cover crops
Agroforestry Systems
Practices found in three from three research techniques.
Practices found in two from three research techniques.
Practices found in the one from three research techniques.
Conclusions


Materials and methods

There is a suite of on-farm management practices that could serve to enhance the resiliency
of smallholder farming systems to climate change.
For coffee key adaptation strategies include the use of shade, organic management, live
barriers, contour ploughing and pruning; whereas for maize and bean these include
conservation tillage, cover crops, tolerant materials, mixed cropping and traditional
agroforestry systems (Quezungual, Taungya, improved fallows).
Although consistency exists among local expert knowledge and scientific literature, still
actual depth testing of the effectiveness of EbA management practices for smallholder
farmers is needed.
Special attention must be paid to the particular socio-economic context of smallholder
farmers of the different coffee and basic grains regions of Costa Rica.
We used three research techniques to identify on-farm management practices which could
help reduce the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to extreme weather events. These
included: (i) a literature review of the management practices for smallholder coffee and basic
grain production with potential to provide adaptive benefits (483 scientific documents); (ii)
consultation with regional experts on adaptation strategies proposed for smallholder farmers
in the region (emailed questionnaire, n1=24 experts); and (iii) personal interviews with coffee
References
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
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Results and discussion
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Acknowledgements
This research was conducted as part of the CASCADE project (“Ecosystem-based Adaptation
for Smallholder Subsistence and Coffee Farming Communities in Central America”). This
project is part of the International Climate Initiative (ICI). The German Federal Ministry for the
Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the
basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
Figure 1. Extreme weather events affecting the agroecosystems of coffee and basic grains in
Costa Rica according to the interviewed experts (n=20).
SUPORTED BY
1
Regional and national experts identified management practices that help farmers reduce the
latter impacts (Table 1). When contrasting the knowledge on how the practices were working
to reduce impacts in farmers’ plots described by local experts and related scientific evidences
from the literature review, we found consistency on the beneficial impacts on micro-climatic,
agronomic and soil attributes of the farm. Some of the most cited options for reducing the
impact of extreme events are EbA options such as shade management, live barriers and
traditional agroforestry systems.
Latin American Chair of Environmental Decisions for Global Change, Climate Change and Watersheds
Programme. Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE). Apartado Postal 7170
Turrialba, Costa Rica. Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
2
The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science and Oceans. Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive Suite 500, Arlington, Virginia 22202, USA. Emails: [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected]
3
CIRAD, UPR Bioagresseurs. F-34598. Montpellier, France. Email: [email protected]
4
CIRAD, UMR System. F-34598. Montpellier, France. Email: [email protected]