Adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in African countries: a systematic review
Neema Florence Vincent Mosha, Patrick Ngulube
Abstract
This systematic review examines the adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in African countries, recognizing the substantial challenges posed by climate change, such as rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns. Emphasizing the importance of these strategies can help smallholder farmers achieve several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including food security and zero hunger. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data from a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases. The review focused on studies published from 2004 to 2024 that explore the impacts of climate change and the strategies utilized by smallholder farmers. The findings are categorized into four main sections, each highlighting specific themes. The first section addresses climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, including the adoption of agricultural practices, agroforestry, integrated crop management, diversification, resilience strategies, and access to information and support systems. The second section delves into socioeconomic factors influencing these strategies, such as demographic influences like farm size and income, education and awareness, financial constraints, access to technology and innovation, and perceptions of risk and coping strategies. The third section outlines the challenges identified in the reviewed papers, which include financial constraints, limited access to information and training, inadequate infrastructure, issues related to land availability and tenure security, and variability in climate conditions. Finally, the fourth section discusses support for climate change adaptation and mitigation, highlighting the importance of access to credit and financial resources, institutional factors, policy recommendations, crop diversification strategies, and the necessity for infrastructure investment. This comprehensive review underscores the multifaceted nature of challenges and solutions related to climate change for smallholder farmers in Africa, emphasizing the need for targeted support and strategic interventions.