In India, Bangladesh and Nepal 70 percent of farms are less than 2 ha in size. These smallholders... more In India, Bangladesh and Nepal 70 percent of farms are less than 2 ha in size. These smallholders are the backbone of the local, national and regional food security. The work they do ensures that their families are fed and enables them to generate a small income through selling production surplus on local markets. Yet, these subsistence oriented, rain-fed farming systems are highly vulnerable. A number of challenges influence them. They include the scarcity of natural resources, like land and water, difficult access to inputs and markets, socio-demographic change through urban migration and the increasing climatic variability. Especially climate change challenges the complex local food production, distribution and consumption systems of smallholder farming communities. The main impacts of climate change in South Asia are increasing temperatures, decreasing precipitation leading to extended periods of drought and an increasing variability of the onset, and duration, of the monsoon – the main force dictating to the rain-fed farming systems in the region. Adaptation is the key to address the vulnerabilities small farmers face. But so far the centrally managed agricultural research and extension systems in the region ignore traditional food systems and culturally accepted food baskets. These leads to a decreasing drop diversity and increasing dependence of smallholder farmers on farm-external inputs threatening traditional, sustainable land management systems. The EU funded project “Strengthening Adaptive Farming in Bangladesh, India and Nepal (SAF-BIN)”, implemented by Caritas organisations, is building resilience to climate change through strengthening adaptive small scale farming systems in rain-fed areas. In a multi-sectoral collaboration a farmers’ collective-led approach has been implemented with smallholder farmers at the centre. This paper focuses on a major tool applied in this project: on-farm adaptive research trials. Facilitated by the project team farmers’ collectives have designed, implemented and analysed on-farm trials in 10 districts in Bangladesh, India and Nepal with the active involvement of civil society, researchers and government officials. Farmers were at the centre and given control in selecting the research topics and tested technologies according to their local demands and climate change challenges. This farmer collective led methodology has been a novel approach for the implementing organisations and participating farmers in the project areas. The collaboration of actors from multiple sectors allows a system perspective and mutual learning among all involved. Results are documentation and increased adoption of locally appropriate farming practises achieved through blending traditional and modern practices with awareness on organic, sustainable production. Farmers’ collectives successfully built resilience to climate change, increased yields, improved nutritional security, reduced external dependency, and reduced input costs. A focus has been laid on introducing sustainable, locally acceptable practices and varieties which ensures a sustainable development of local smallholder farming systems. SAF-BIN is evolving as a successful model for strengthening adaptive capacities of smallholders. Lessons on integration of a diverse set of stakeholders are transferable and applicable to similar initiatives. Key words: climate change adaptation, farmers’ collective-led approach, food security on-farm adaptive research, smallholders, South Asia COMMENT This research paper has been submitted to, selected by and presented at the World Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation held in Manchester, England, 2-4 September 2015. It has been published as book chapter: Roschinsky, R., Simon, S., Coudhury, P.R., Baroi, A., Malla, M., Costa, S.G., Pankaj, V.D., Manandhar, C., Aichinger, M. and Wurzinger, M. (2016): Facilitating climate change adaptation on smallholder farms through farmers’ collective led on-farm adaptive research – The SAF-BIN project. Book chapter in: Implementing Climate Change Adaptation in Cities and Communities. Integrating Strategies and Educational Approaches (Eds.: W. Leal Filho, K. Adamson, R. Dunk, U.M. Azeiteiro, S. Illingworth, F. Alves). Series: Climate Change Management. Springer. In press (http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319285894) It is an output of the EU-funded project: Strengthening Adaptive Farming in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. A multi-sectoral research and development programme coordinated by Caritas Austria, implemented by Caritas Bangladesh, Caritas India and Caritas Nepal. The Centre for Development Research at BOKU is engaged as research partner. www.safbin.org The project in BOKU FIS: https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=de&menue_id_in=300&id_in=8599
In India, Bangladesh and Nepal 70 percent of farms are less than 2 ha in size. These smallholders... more In India, Bangladesh and Nepal 70 percent of farms are less than 2 ha in size. These smallholders are the backbone of the local, national and regional food security. The work they do ensures that their families are fed and enables them to generate a small income through selling production surplus on local markets. Yet, these subsistence oriented, rain-fed farming systems are highly vulnerable. A number of challenges influence them. They include the scarcity of natural resources, like land and water, difficult access to inputs and markets, socio-demographic change through urban migration and the increasing climatic variability. Especially climate change challenges the complex local food production, distribution and consumption systems of smallholder farming communities. The main impacts of climate change in South Asia are increasing temperatures, decreasing precipitation leading to extended periods of drought and an increasing variability of the onset, and duration, of the monsoon – the main force dictating to the rain-fed farming systems in the region. Adaptation is the key to address the vulnerabilities small farmers face. But so far the centrally managed agricultural research and extension systems in the region ignore traditional food systems and culturally accepted food baskets. These leads to a decreasing drop diversity and increasing dependence of smallholder farmers on farm-external inputs threatening traditional, sustainable land management systems. The EU funded project “Strengthening Adaptive Farming in Bangladesh, India and Nepal (SAF-BIN)”, implemented by Caritas organisations, is building resilience to climate change through strengthening adaptive small scale farming systems in rain-fed areas. In a multi-sectoral collaboration a farmers’ collective-led approach has been implemented with smallholder farmers at the centre. This paper focuses on a major tool applied in this project: on-farm adaptive research trials. Facilitated by the project team farmers’ collectives have designed, implemented and analysed on-farm trials in 10 districts in Bangladesh, India and Nepal with the active involvement of civil society, researchers and government officials. Farmers were at the centre and given control in selecting the research topics and tested technologies according to their local demands and climate change challenges. This farmer collective led methodology has been a novel approach for the implementing organisations and participating farmers in the project areas. The collaboration of actors from multiple sectors allows a system perspective and mutual learning among all involved. Results are documentation and increased adoption of locally appropriate farming practises achieved through blending traditional and modern practices with awareness on organic, sustainable production. Farmers’ collectives successfully built resilience to climate change, increased yields, improved nutritional security, reduced external dependency, and reduced input costs. A focus has been laid on introducing sustainable, locally acceptable practices and varieties which ensures a sustainable development of local smallholder farming systems. SAF-BIN is evolving as a successful model for strengthening adaptive capacities of smallholders. Lessons on integration of a diverse set of stakeholders are transferable and applicable to similar initiatives. Key words: climate change adaptation, farmers’ collective-led approach, food security on-farm adaptive research, smallholders, South Asia COMMENT This research paper has been submitted to, selected by and presented at the World Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation held in Manchester, England, 2-4 September 2015. It has been published as book chapter: Roschinsky, R., Simon, S., Coudhury, P.R., Baroi, A., Malla, M., Costa, S.G., Pankaj, V.D., Manandhar, C., Aichinger, M. and Wurzinger, M. (2016): Facilitating climate change adaptation on smallholder farms through farmers’ collective led on-farm adaptive research – The SAF-BIN project. Book chapter in: Implementing Climate Change Adaptation in Cities and Communities. Integrating Strategies and Educational Approaches (Eds.: W. Leal Filho, K. Adamson, R. Dunk, U.M. Azeiteiro, S. Illingworth, F. Alves). Series: Climate Change Management. Springer. In press (http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319285894) It is an output of the EU-funded project: Strengthening Adaptive Farming in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. A multi-sectoral research and development programme coordinated by Caritas Austria, implemented by Caritas Bangladesh, Caritas India and Caritas Nepal. The Centre for Development Research at BOKU is engaged as research partner. www.safbin.org The project in BOKU FIS: https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=de&menue_id_in=300&id_in=8599
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Key words: climate change adaptation, farmers’ collective-led approach, food security on-farm adaptive research, smallholders, South Asia
COMMENT
This research paper has been submitted to, selected by and presented at the World Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation held in Manchester, England, 2-4 September 2015. It has been published as book chapter:
Roschinsky, R., Simon, S., Coudhury, P.R., Baroi, A., Malla, M., Costa, S.G., Pankaj, V.D., Manandhar, C., Aichinger, M. and Wurzinger, M. (2016): Facilitating climate change adaptation on smallholder farms through farmers’ collective led on-farm adaptive research – The SAF-BIN project. Book chapter in: Implementing Climate Change Adaptation in Cities and Communities. Integrating Strategies and Educational Approaches (Eds.: W. Leal Filho, K. Adamson, R. Dunk, U.M. Azeiteiro, S. Illingworth, F. Alves). Series: Climate Change Management. Springer. In press (http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319285894)
It is an output of the EU-funded project: Strengthening Adaptive Farming in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. A multi-sectoral research and development programme coordinated by Caritas Austria, implemented by Caritas Bangladesh, Caritas India and Caritas Nepal. The Centre for Development Research at BOKU is engaged as research partner.
www.safbin.org
The project in BOKU FIS: https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=de&menue_id_in=300&id_in=8599
Papers by Augustin Baroi
Key words: climate change adaptation, farmers’ collective-led approach, food security on-farm adaptive research, smallholders, South Asia
COMMENT
This research paper has been submitted to, selected by and presented at the World Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation held in Manchester, England, 2-4 September 2015. It has been published as book chapter:
Roschinsky, R., Simon, S., Coudhury, P.R., Baroi, A., Malla, M., Costa, S.G., Pankaj, V.D., Manandhar, C., Aichinger, M. and Wurzinger, M. (2016): Facilitating climate change adaptation on smallholder farms through farmers’ collective led on-farm adaptive research – The SAF-BIN project. Book chapter in: Implementing Climate Change Adaptation in Cities and Communities. Integrating Strategies and Educational Approaches (Eds.: W. Leal Filho, K. Adamson, R. Dunk, U.M. Azeiteiro, S. Illingworth, F. Alves). Series: Climate Change Management. Springer. In press (http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319285894)
It is an output of the EU-funded project: Strengthening Adaptive Farming in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. A multi-sectoral research and development programme coordinated by Caritas Austria, implemented by Caritas Bangladesh, Caritas India and Caritas Nepal. The Centre for Development Research at BOKU is engaged as research partner.
www.safbin.org
The project in BOKU FIS: https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=de&menue_id_in=300&id_in=8599