Abstract
Climate change increases the number of risks for agricultural production in arid and semiarid regions, especially in Western Africa. Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate change risks. These risks affect their socioeconomic situation, as well as the local food sector value chain in general. Therefore, their food security is threatened if smallholder farming structures do not adapt to them. Thus, effective climate change adaptation measures for smallholders are essential and should be implemented without delay. However, success hinges on the acceptance of the promoted measures among various stakeholders. Thus, their acceptance needs to be assessed before promoting.
The project “The potential of sustainable land-use systems to promote adaptation to climate change” analyzes climate change adaptation measures to increase the resilience of smallholders in drought-prone regions of West Africa. This chapter shows the project results of the science-farmer-policy dialogue established in this project, moderated by interdisciplinary researchers and the innovation platform established in Southern Mali. Particular emphasis is given on how effective climate change adaptation measures (both technical and institutional) can be selected in a participatory process with smallholders’ groups as well as taking into account the institutional context within the involved region. Additionally, the project explores how insights from farmers’ groups and extensionists can be utilized and disseminated via innovation platform-based processes and how the latter may serve to identify and develop new solutions. Through innovation platforms, other stakeholders like extensionists, researchers, value chain operators, farmer organizations, and policy makers can support the resilience of smallholders’ farms. Therefore, this chapter presents lessons learned from the process of establishing innovation platforms in Mali. It is essential to learn and exchange these experiences with other farmers, farmer groups, researchers, and policy makers in drought-prone regions to further develop this concept as a practical solution for climate change adaptation in the area.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Bautze L, Meier M, Muller A, Gattinger A (in preparation) The potential of agroforestry systems as a climate change adaptation strategy for (smallholder) farmers in Western Africa: a meta-analysis on the nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and additional co-benefits. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick
Business Dictionary (2017) Definition of proxy indicator. WebFinance Inc., Fairfax (U.S.). http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/proxy-indicator.html. Accessed 19 June 2017
Doumbia S, Sidibé S, Sanogo S, Sissoko F, Glin L, Samaké O (2016) Capacité et pratique d’adaption au Changement Climatique des agriculteurs des communes de Boura et Kléla au Mali Sud. Rapport Final. IER et FiBL. Sikasso
FAO (2017) The state of food insecurity in the world, 2015. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome. http://www.fao.org/hunger/key-messages/en/. Accessed 17 June 2017
Gattinger A et al (2012) Enhanced top soil carbon stocks under organic farming. Proc Natl Acad Sci 109:18226–18231. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1209429109
Gattinger A, Meier M, Muller A (in preparation) The impact of organic farming systems on water and nutrient use efficiency. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick
Kebe D, Fomba B, Sidibé MC, Djouara H (1999) Le conseil de gestion aux exploitations agricoles: un outil de vulgarisation. Ministère du développement rural et de l’eau. IER. ESPGRN, Sikasso
Meier M, Heubeck C, Muller A, Gattinger A (in preparation) Nutrient- and water-use efficiency of agricultural practices in West Africa – a meta-analysis. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick
Mersmann F, Wehnert T, Göpel M, Arens S, Ujj O (2014) Shifting paradigms: unpacking transformation for climate action. A guidebook for climate finance & development practitioners. Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy GmbH, Berlin. Available via https://epub.wupperinst.org/frontdoor/index/index/docId/5518. Accessed 17 June 2017
Niang I, Ruppel OC, Abdrabo MA, Essel A, Lennard C, Padgham J, Urquhart P (2014) Africa. In: Barros VR et al (eds) Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part B: regional aspects. Contribution of working group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK/New York, pp 1199–1265
Nicolay G (2016) Theory-based innovation platform management. A contribution of sociology to agriculture research and development. Paper presented at the 12th European IFSA symposium, 2016. Theme 2: methodology and frameworks of farming systems transformation, Harper Adams University, UK, 12–17 July 2016
Nicolay GL, Dabire R, Fliessbach A, Glin L, Sissoko F (2013) Syprobio: farmer-led innovation platforms to address food security, poverty alleviation and resilience to climate change in West African cotton-growing communities. Paper presented at the workshop on agricultural innovation Systems in Africa (AISA), Nairobi, 29–31 May 2013
Pedercini M, Kanamaru H, Derwisch S (2012) Potential impacts of climate change on food security in Mali. Natural Resources Management and Environment Department at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome. Available via http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i2856e/i2856e.pdf. Accessed 17 June 2017
Schut M et al (2015) Innovation platforms: experiences with their institutional embedding in agricultural research for development. Exp Agric 52:537–561. https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447971500023X
Schütz L, Gattinger A, Meier M, Müller A, Boller T, Mäder P, Mathimaran N (2018) Improving crop yield and nutrient use efficiency via biofertilization – a global meta-analysis. Front Plant Sci 8:2204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.02204
UNdata (2017) A world of information. United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), New York. http://data.un.org/Default.aspx. Accessed 17 June 2017
WB (2017) Climate change knowledge portal – for development practicioners and policy makers. The World Bank Group, New York. http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/index.cfm?page=country_historical_climate&ThisRegion=Africa&ThisCCode=MLI. Accessed 17 June 2017
WMO (2017) WMO programmes: world weather information service – official forecasts. United Nations World Meterological Organisation (WMO), New York. https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/weather/weather-forecast. Accessed 17 June 2017
Acknowledgments
The funding by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland is gratefully acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Bautze, L., Nicolay, G.L., Meier, M., Gattinger, A., Muller, A. (2018). Climate Change Adaptation Through Science-Farmer-Policy Dialogue in Mali. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Resilience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71025-9_89-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71025-9_89-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71025-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71025-9
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences