Ecosystem-Based Practices for Smallholders’ Adaptation to Climate Extremes: Evidence of Benefits and Knowledge Gaps in Latin America

Agronomy, vol. 12, pp. 2535

Abstract

Agricultural practices of smallholder farming systems of Latin America can play an important role in reducing their exposure to the risks associated with climate extremes. To date, however, there is no systematic analysis of scientific evidence for the extent to which these practices can provide the multiple benefits needed for smallholders to adapt to climate extremes. In this paper, we searched scientific databases to review scientific evidence of the benefit provided by twenty-six practices in crops commonly farmed by smallholders in the region and highly relevant for their food and nutrition security; namely, coffee, maize and beans. We reviewed scientific documents (n = 304) published in the period 1953–2021 to register evidence of the practices’ effects on fifty-five benefits. Our analysis of these documents found measurement records (n = 924) largely based on field experiments (85%). Our results show strong evidence of the multiple benefits that some ecosystem-based practices (e.g., tree-based practices for coffee and no tillage for maize) can provide to support the adaptation to climate extremes of smallholder farming systems and enhance a farm’s natural assets (e.g., biodiversity, water, soil). We also found that the majority of research on practices in the region focused more on the socioeconomic dimension (54%) rather than on the capacity of practices to improve the natural assets of a smallholder farmers or reduce the impact of climate extremes. Given these knowledge gaps, we discuss the importance of a renovated investment in research to address existing knowledge gaps. Our concluding suggestions for future research include the need for systematizing existing knowledge from different sources (e.g., peer-reviewed, gray literature, farmers, extension agencies, etc.), and to assess the extent to which these practices can provide multiple benefits for smallholder farming systems by improving their wellbeing, reducing their vulnerability to different hydroclimatic extremes while also contributing to ecosystem services provision at the landscape level.

Authors 7

1. Raffaele Vignola

   University of Vermont · Gund Institute for Environment · Wageningen University & Research

   Affiliation as printed

   Gund Institute for the Environment, Vermont University, Burlington, VT 05405, USA

   Water Systems and Global Change, WIMEK School for Climate and Society, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands

   WUR - Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen - Netherlands)

2. Célia A. Harvey
   Affiliation as printed

   Monteverde Institute, Apdo. 69-5655, Monteverde, Puntarenas 83049, Costa Rica

   MVI - Monteverde Institute (APDO 69-5655, Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. - Costa Rica)

3. Bruno Rapidel

   Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · Université de Montpellier · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement · Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier · International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies · ABSys

   Affiliation as printed

   ABSys, Université de Montpellier, International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-IAMM), CIRAD, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National d’Enseignement Supérieur pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (Institut Agro), 34090 Montpellier, France

   Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement-Unite Mixte de Recherche sur les Agrosystemes Biodiversifies (CIRAD-UMRABSys), Universite de Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier, France

4. Pável Bautista Solís

   Universidad Nacional

   Affiliation as printed

   Mesoamerican Center of Sustainable Development of the Dry Tropics (CEMEDE), Universidad Nacional, Nicoya 50201, Costa Rica

5. Francisco Alpízar

   Wageningen University & Research

   Affiliation as printed

   Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands

   WUR - Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen - Netherlands)

6. Camila I. Donatti

   Conservation International

   Affiliation as printed

   Climate Change Adaptation, Moore Centre for Science, Conservation International, Arlington, VA 22202, USA

7. Jacques Avelino

   Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · Université de Montpellier · Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement · Institut de Recherche pour le Développement · Plant Health Institute de Montpellier

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)-Unité Mixte de Recherche-Plant Health Institute of Montpellier (UMR-PHIM), 34398 Montpellier, France

   PHIM, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institut National d’Enseignement Supérieur pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (Institut Agro), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France