A framework to assess the resilience of farming systems

Meuwissen, M.P.M.; Feindt, Peter H.; Spiegel, Alisa; Termeer, C.J.A.M.; Mathijs, Erik; Mey, Yann de; Finger, Robert; Balmann, Alfons; Wauters, Erwin; Urquhart, Julie; Vigani, Mauro; Zawalińska, Katarzyna; Herrera, Hugo; Nicholas‐Davies, Phillipa; Hansson, Helena; Paas, Wim; Slijper, Thomas; Coopmans, Isabeau; Vroege, Willemijn; Ciechomska, Anna; Accatino, Francesco; Kopainsky, Birgit; Poortvliet, P. Marijn; Candel, Jeroen; Maye, Damian; Severini, Simone; Senni, Saverio; Soriano, Bárbara; Lagerkvist, Carl Johan; Peneva, Mariya; Gavrilescu, Camelia; Reidsma, P.

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102656

Cited by 397 publications

(490 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The land consolidation, use of fallow/barren land, irrigation, improvement in indigenous landraces, and promotion of market for niche products would have helped increased production. For example, Meuwissen et al (2019) developed a conceptual framework to assess the resilience of farming systems and presented a methodology to operationalize the framework with a view to diverse farming systems of Europe. Such learning could have been useful in developing contextualized concept in case of Nepal as well as in other countries of South Asia.…”

Section: Farming Systems Resilience and Impacts On Farmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 impacts on agriculture and food systems in Nepal: Implications for SDGs

Adhikari

Timsina²,

Khadka

et al. 2021

Agricultural Systems

137

111

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The objective of this study was to understand the impacts of COVID-19 crisis in agriculture and food systems in Nepal and assess the effectiveness of measures to deal with this crisis. The study draws policy implications, especially for farming systems resilience and the achievement of SDGs 1 and 2. The findings are based on (i) three panel discussions over six months with policy makers and experts working at grassroots to understand and manage the crisis, (ii) key informants' interviews, and (iii) an extensive literature review. Results revealed that the lockdown and transport restrictions have had severe consequences, raising questions on the achievement of SDGs 1 and 2, especially in the already vulnerable regions dependent on food-aid. This crisis has also exposed the strengths and limitations of both subsistence and commercial farming systems in terms of resiliency, offering important lessons for policy makers. Traditional subsistence farming appears to be somewhat resilient, with a potential to contribute to key pillars of food security, especially access and stability, though with limited contributions to food availability because of low productivity. On the other hand, commercial farming - limited to the periphery of market centres, cities, and emerging towns and in the accessible areas - was more impacted due to the lack of resilient supply networks to reach even the local market. Lower resiliency of commercial farming was also evident because of its growing dependence on inputs (mainly seeds and fertilizer) on distant markets located in foreign countries. The observation of crisis over eight months unleashed by the pandemic clearly revealed that wage labourers, indigenous people, and women from marginalized groups and regions already vulnerable in food security and malnutrition suffered more due to COVID-19 as they lost both external support and the coping mechanisms. The findings have implications for policies to improve both subsistence and commercial farming systems – in particular the former by improving the productivity through quality inputs and by diversifying, promoting and protecting the indigenous food system, while the latter through sustainable intensification by building reliant supply network linking farming with markets and guarantying the supply of inputs.

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Section: Farming Systems Resilience and Impacts On Farmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 impacts on agriculture and food systems in Nepal: Implications for SDGs

Adhikari

Timsina²,

Khadka

et al. 2021

Agricultural Systems

137

111

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Following this, resilience is viewed as an essential building block for sustainability in the face of growing complexity and uncertainty [7]. At the farm level, resilience refers to the ability of farms to adapt to climatic, social, and market shocks [8]. This ability of farms to adapt can be improved through internal and external interventions [9], and tapping into farmer characteristics which facilitate self-organization and innovative problem-solving [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of Farm Resilience to Climate Change: The Role of Farmer Entrepreneurship and Value Chain Collaborations

2020

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The concept of resilience gained traction in academic, policy, and development discourse in recent years, yet its conceptualization and application at the farm level has received little attention. For instance, recent policy recommendations present farm resilience as a silver bullet in dealing with agricultural risks and uncertainty, and in achieving sustainable agri-food systems. Yet, the question of what determines farm resilience in a smallholder farming set-up remains fuzzy. To address this knowledge gap, we firstly develop a novel conceptual framework based on determinants of farm resilience and farmer adaptive capacity as a pathway through which farm resilience is strengthened. The emphasis on adaptive capacity responds to a conceptual weakness inherent in studies that present socio-ecological systems as static systems. Secondly, based on a literature review, we propose mechanisms through which farmer entrepreneurship, membership in farmer organization, and farmer–buyer relationships may influence farmer adaptive capacity and thereby farm resilience. Based on our conceptual understanding of the determinants of farm resilience, we recommend approaches that augment farmer entrepreneurship, support farmer organizations, and strengthen farmer–buyer relationships.

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“…According to Darnhofer et al (2010) [29], adopting a systemic approach to assess the resilience of farming systems provides a better understanding of the interdependence between social and ecological systems, an important step towards the evaluation of farms sustainability. Meuwissen et al (2019) [30] differentiated between specified resilience and general resilience, distinguished three resilience capacities (robustness, adaptability, and transformability), and developed a framework for their assessment in specific contexts of farming systems in Europe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity and Resilience to Socio-Ecological Changes of Smallholder Lagune Cattle Farming Systems of Benin

Ahozonlin

Dossa

2020

Sustainability

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The indigenous smallholder Lagune breed and the production systems in which it is embedded in Southern Benin have received very little research or policy attention. Consequently, very little information exists on the diversity of these production systems or on their capacity to adapt to ongoing socio-economic and environmental changes. This study aimed to explore and characterize the diversity of Lagune cattle production systems along with farmers’ local knowledge and resilience strategies. A questionnaire was administered to 417 Lagune cattle farmers across two agro-ecological zones: Ouémé Valley (OVZ) and Pobe (PZ). It included, inter alia, questions related to households’ socio-economic conditions, their cattle herd characteristics, and management practices. Categorical principal component analysis and the two-step clustering method were used to classify the production systems which were then compared using the chi-square and ANOVA procedures. Four distinct farm types were identified. This study revealed the important role of agroecology in the diversity of farmers’ breeding practices. Controlled mating was more common in tethering systems whereas uncontrolled mating, widespread in free-roaming systems, has favored Lagune breed admixture with zebus. Opportunities for conserving the genetic diversity within the Lagune breed might be greater in PZ where breed admixture was almost inexistent.

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A framework to assess the resilience of farming systems

Cited by 397 publications

References 40 publications

COVID-19 impacts on agriculture and food systems in Nepal: Implications for SDGs

COVID-19 impacts on agriculture and food systems in Nepal: Implications for SDGs

Determinants of Farm Resilience to Climate Change: The Role of Farmer Entrepreneurship and Value Chain Collaborations

Diversity and Resilience to Socio-Ecological Changes of Smallholder Lagune Cattle Farming Systems of Benin

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