Sustainable intensification in drylands: What resilience and vulnerability can tell us

Robinson, Lance W.; Ericksen, Polly J.; Chesterman, Sabrina; Worden, Jeffrey S.

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2015.01.005

Cited by 66 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…In general, the study area seems to follow equilibrium rather than non-equilibrium dynamics (Derry and Boone 2010;von Wehrden et al 2012) as indicated by the relative high precipitation (700 to 1,000 mm/year), the low CV of rainfall (around 20 according to Global map in von Wehrden et al 2012) and the responsiveness to management. Rather than ecological concepts on equilibrium or non-equilibrium dynamics, concepts like risk aversion, diversification, management adaptability, resilience, robustness and sustainability (Accatino et al 2014;Quaas et al 2007;Robinson et al 2015) might be more relevant in these de facto managed systems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enclosures in West Pokot, Kenya: Transforming land, livestock and livelihoods in drylands

et al. 2015

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Dryland livestock production systems are changing in many parts of the world, as a result of growing human populations and associated pressure on water and land. Based on a combination of social and natural science methods, we studied a 30-year transformation process from pastoralism to a livestock-based agro-pastoral system in northwestern Kenya, with the overall aim to increase the understanding of the ongoing transition towards intensified agro-pastoralist production systems in dryland East Africa. Key to this transformation was the use of enclosures for land rehabilitation, fodder production, and land and livestock management. Enclosures have more soil carbon and a higher vegetation cover than adjacent areas with open grazing. The level of adoption of enclosures as a management tool has been very high, and their use has enabled agricultural diversification, e.g. increased crop agriculture, poultry production and the inclusion of improved livestock. Following the use of enclosures, livelihoods have become less dependent on livestock migration, are increasingly directed towards agribusinesses and present new opportunities and constraints for women. These livelihood changes are closely associated with, and depend on, an ongoing privatization of land under different tenure regimes. The results indicate that the observed transformation provides opportunities for a pathway towards a sustainable livestock-based agro-pastoral system that could be valid in many dryland areas in East Africa. However, we also show that emergent risks of conflicts and inequalities in relation to land, triggered by the weakening of collective property rights, pose a threat to the sustainability of this pathway.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enclosures in West Pokot, Kenya: Transforming land, livestock and livelihoods in drylands

et al. 2015

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“…Sustainable intensification requires an integrated approach, making smart use of available agroecological, human and financial resources across different systems levels (Robinson et al 2015). Two aspects are key in such an approach.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bringing ISFM to scale through an integrated farm planning approach: a case study from Burundi

Kessler

Duivenbooden

Nsabimana

et al. 2015

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) is generally accepted as the most relevant paradigm for soil fertility improvement in the tropics. Successes however are mainly reported at plot level, while real impact at farm level and beyond remains scattered. As a consequence, many Sub-Saharan African countries continue experiencing soil nutrient mining and insecure and insufficient agricultural production. Since technology-driven projects at the plot level failed to bring ISFM to scale, a different approach is needed. This paper describes a bottom-up approach developed in Burundi, the ''PIP approach''. It starts at farmer family level with the creation of an integrated farm plan (Plan Intégré de Paysan in French-PIP) and aims at wide-scale spreading of farmers' intrinsic motivation to invest in activities that make the household more resilient and profitable, while moving towards sustainable agricultural intensification based on concepts of ISFM. As such, and once firmly embedded in and supported by village or district plans, agriculture becomes a business rather than a default activity inherited by parents, and ISFM an intrinsic aspect of farm management. In this paper the PIP approach as currently being implemented in Burundi is explained and discussed, with special reference to soil fertility management and some preliminary promising results.

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“…Here, we assess both the proximal factors and contextual drivers of resilient rice farming in the Mahanadi Delta. This research supplements a growing literature that provides empirical evidence on proximal and contextual factors that shape the resilience of farming communities facing an intensifying climate risk landscape (Enfors and Gordon 2008, Béné et al 2011, 2016a, Enfors 2013, Rufino et al 2013, Robinson et al 2015.…”

Section: Resilience To Climate Hazards In Deltasmentioning

confidence: 79%

Resilience to hazards: rice farmers in the Mahanadi Delta, India

Duncan¹,

Tompkins²,

Dash³

et al. 2017

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Developing country deltas are important food producing areas and are home to large numbers of subsistence farmers. In particular, rice farmers dominate the populous deltas of South and Southeast Asia and face frequent climate hazards that have short-and long-term impacts on rice production and livelihoods. The aim of this study is to identify and explain proximal and ultimate factors (land access, cultural practices, and institutional support) that affect rice farmer resilience, that is, to explain why some farmers are more sensitive to climate shocks, why some farmers suffer long-term impacts from climate shocks, and what underlying "ultimate" factors reproduce this vulnerability over time. We undertake this analysis using qualitative interviews and household survey data from two districts in the Mahanadi Delta, Odisha, India. We show that climate hazards cause rice production shocks that are problematic for farmers because rice is predominantly used for household consumption in a context of unreliable off-farm income sources and a lack of insurance and credit. Our research emphasizes that "ultimate" drivers interact with the current mode of rice cultivation to reproduce a low resilience farming state. We argue that agricultural development interventions seeking to make rice farming more resilient to climate hazards should focus on boosting productivity and shock-resistance, but also be cognizant of the system within which rice farming is practiced and the contextual "ultimate" factors that reproduce vulnerability.

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Sustainable intensification in drylands: What resilience and vulnerability can tell us

Cited by 66 publications

References 58 publications

Enclosures in West Pokot, Kenya: Transforming land, livestock and livelihoods in drylands

Enclosures in West Pokot, Kenya: Transforming land, livestock and livelihoods in drylands

Bringing ISFM to scale through an integrated farm planning approach: a case study from Burundi

Resilience to hazards: rice farmers in the Mahanadi Delta, India

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