Using Local Agroecological Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation: A Study of Tree-Based Options in Northern Morocco

Abstract

Communities in northern Morocco are vulnerable to increasing water scarcity and food insecurity. Context specific adaptation options thus need to be identified to sustain livelihoods and agroecosystems in this region, and increase the resilience of vulnerable smallholders, and their farming systems, to undesired effects of social-ecological change. This study took a knowledge-based systems approach to explore whether and how tree-based (i.e., agroforestry) options could contribute to meeting these adaptation needs. We analysed local agroecological knowledge of smallholders from the Mèknes–Tafilalet region, to (i) characterise existing farming systems at local landscape scale; (ii) identify possible niches for farm-trees within these systems; and (iii) explore locally perceived barriers to tree-based diversification. An iterative cycle of qualitative interviews, with a purposefully selected sample of 32 farmers, revealed that socio-economic constraints and agroecological conditions in the area differed markedly along a relatively short altitudinal gradient. Agroforestry practices were already integral to all farming systems. Yet, many were at risk of degradation, as water scarcity, low profitability of production systems and uncontrolled grazing constituted critical barriers to the maintenance and diversification of farm-trees. We demonstrate the discriminatory power of local knowledge, to characterise farming conditions at the local landscape scale; and unveil adoption barriers and options for tree-based diversification in northern Morocco.

Refining the Spatial Scale for Maize Crop Agro-Climatological Suitability Conditions in a Region with Complex Topography towards a Smart and Sustainable Agriculture. Case Study: Central Romania (Cluj County)

“…In the general context of global climate changes, the agricultural sector seems to be one of the most severely affected. The vast majority of previously developed studies indicated important impacts of climate changes on different crops, especially in developing countries [1][2][3][4]. Under these changing conditions, the geographical position and local factors of an area are expected to have a crucial impact on agriculture, based on the current climatic characteristics, soil properties, resources of the area, existing infrastructure, and direction of change [5,6].…”

Farmers' knowledge of soil quality indicators along a land degradation gradient in Rwanda

“…A key challenge limiting sustainable intensification of agriculture is that smallholder farming systems are heterogeneous and dynamic, not only in their biophysical context (including soils) but also in terms of famer circumstances, production objectives and socio-technical conditions (Kmoch et al, 2018;Tittonell et al, 2005;Vanlauwe et al, 2014). Despite this heterogeneity in smallholder farming systems, conventional soil management and land restoration approaches in Rwanda have prescribed a narrow set of soil management options, often informed by coarse-resolution assessments.…”

Shifting Perspectives in Assessing Socio-Environmental Vulnerability

“…While bottom-up approaches are important for ensuring community engagement, top-down support can help to design and implement more rigorous experimental efforts that can be replicated and upscaled [87]. As part of such a mixed-methods integrative approach, local qualitative inquiries can help stakeholders prioritize quantitative investigations on broader scales [89].…”