Determinants of food insecurity among smallholder farmer households in Central America: recurrent versus extreme weather-driven events

Alpízar, Francisco; Saborío-Rodríguez, Milagro; Martínez‐Rodríguez, M. Ruth; Viguera, Bárbara; Vignola, Raffaele; Capitán, Tabaré; Harvey, Célia A.

doi:10.1007/s10113-020-01592-y

Cited by 54 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Following the empirical literature, the food security of CFHs is also expected to be influenced by socioeconomic factors besides income. Food security is hypothesised to be negatively influenced by household size [9,61]. However, it is expected to be positively influenced by the age [8,80], level of education [13,45,47,50,80] and farming experience of the household head [8,52], as well as with household agricultural labour size [46].…”

Section: Cash Crops and Food Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cash crops and food security: evidence from smallholder cocoa and cashew farmers in Ghana

2022

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Background Food security is a major development concern worldwide. The use of arable lands to grow cash crops raises additional concerns, yet empirical evidence on the relationship between cash cropping and food security remains inconclusive. Using survey data from 408 randomly sampled households, this paper assesses the income and food security implications of reviving cocoa farming in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana. In addition, the paper examines the influence of socioeconomic factors and diversification into cashew on the food security of cocoa households. Data was collected from 12 rural communities, where food crop production was the main source of livelihood. A causal-comparative design was used. Food security was measured using the USDA Food Security Core Module. Results Contrary to the literature that cash crops undermine food security, findings indicate a positive relationship between cocoa farming, household crop income and food security, highlighting complementarities between cocoa, food crop and cashew production. Although income from cocoa alone was not sufficient enough to guarantee food security, it enhanced the financial ability of farmers to diversify into cashew and expand food crop production. This minimised market dependency for food staples, enhanced annual crop income, and ensured a continuous flow of income. Overall, the food security advantage of cocoa farming was predicted by diversification into cashew, displacement of food crops using cocoa, socioeconomic factors, such as land ownership, livestock ownership, and formal education; and marginally by total annual crop income. Conclusions Income from cocoa alone is not high enough and widely distributed to guarantee food security. Reinvesting the returns from cocoa in cashew and food crops seems to be a more reliable pathway to enhancing food security than merely depending on the income to buy food. A semi-subsistence system that ensures optimum combination of cash and food crops is, therefore, recommended, but this may require sufficient access to land.

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Section: Cash Crops and Food Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are additional knowledge gaps on the intersecting role of socioeconomic factors. Although the literature also attributes household food security to socioeconomic factors [9,13,64,80], it is not fully understood how such factors may influence the relationship between cash crop production and household food security [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cash crops and food security: evidence from smallholder cocoa and cashew farmers in Ghana

2022

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“…Conditions linked to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have been associated with an increase in crop diseases such as coffee rust [30]. Hydro-meteorological extremes have a profound impact on regional agriculture, compromising food security, decreasing economic growth, affecting a large number of households that depend on major crops, and increasing societal risk of impoverishment [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Perspectives in the Intra–Americas Seas

et al. 2020

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The Intra–Americas Seas region is known for its relevance to air–sea interaction processes, the contrast between large water masses and a relatively small continental area, and the occurrence of extreme events. The differing weather systems and the influence of variability at different spatio–temporal scales is a characteristic feature of the region. The impact of hydro–meteorological extreme events has played a huge importance for regional livelihood, having a mostly negative impact on socioeconomics. The frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events and droughts are often discussed in terms of their impact on economic activities and access to water. Furthermore, future climate projections suggest that warming scenarios are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme events, which poses a major threat to vulnerable communities. In a region where the economy is largely dependent on agriculture and the population is exposed to the impact of extremes, understanding the climate system is key to informed policymaking and management plans. A wealth of knowledge has been published on regional weather and climate, with a majority of studies focusing on specific components of the system. This study aims to provide an integral overview of regional weather and climate suitable for a wider community. Following the presentation of the general features of the region, a large scale is introduced outlining the main structures that affect regional climate. The most relevant climate features are briefly described, focusing on sea surface temperature, low–level circulation, and rainfall patterns. The impact of climate variability at the intra–seasonal, inter–annual, decadal, and multi–decadal scales is discussed. Climate change is considered in the regional context, based on current knowledge for natural and anthropogenic climate change. The present challenges in regional weather and climate studies have also been included in the concluding sections of this review. The overarching aim of this work is to leverage information that may be transferred efficiently to support decision–making processes and provide a solid foundation on regional weather and climate for professionals from different backgrounds.

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“…Additionally, coffee smallholders that have diversified into subsistence crops, reported less food insecurity and less severe posthazard coping responses to drought and the CLR outbreak in Nicaragua (6). In addition to farm diversification, access to more land and higher incomes, which are often associated with diversified income sources and off-farm employment, correlate with improved household food security among coffee smallholders (6,64,75). However, there is no consensus on which diversification strategies are most likely to reduce risks in different settings, particularly in light of increasing challenging vulnerability contexts.…”

Section: Approaches To Reduce Clr Impacts On Coffee Industry and Farmersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemics and the future of coffee production

Rhiney

Guido

Knudson

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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In this perspective, we draw on recent scientific research on the coffee leaf rust (CLR) epidemic that severely impacted several countries across Latin America and the Caribbean over the last decade, to explore how the socioeconomic impacts from COVID-19 could lead to the reemergence of another rust epidemic. We describe how past CLR outbreaks have been linked to reduced crop care and investment in coffee farms, as evidenced in the years following the 2008 global financial crisis. We discuss relationships between CLR incidence, farmer-scale agricultural practices, and economic signals transferred through global and local effects. We contextualize how current COVID-19 impacts on labor, unemployment, stay-at-home orders, and international border policies could affect farmer investments in coffee plants and in turn create conditions favorable for future shocks. We conclude by arguing that COVID-19’s socioeconomic disruptions are likely to drive the coffee industry into another severe production crisis. While this argument illustrates the vulnerabilities that come from a globalized coffee system, it also highlights the necessity of ensuring the well-being of all. By increasing investments in coffee institutions and paying smallholders more, we can create a fairer and healthier system that is more resilient to future social-ecological shocks.

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Determinants of food insecurity among smallholder farmer households in Central America: recurrent versus extreme weather-driven events

Cited by 54 publications

References 48 publications

Cash crops and food security: evidence from smallholder cocoa and cashew farmers in Ghana

Cash crops and food security: evidence from smallholder cocoa and cashew farmers in Ghana

Climate Perspectives in the Intra–Americas Seas

Epidemics and the future of coffee production

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