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Diversity in perception and management of farming risks in southern Mali

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/11641/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102905
doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102905
 
Title Diversity in perception and management of farming risks in southern Mali
 
Creator Huet, E K
Adam, M
Giller, K E
Descheemaeker, K
 
Subject Smallholder Farmers
African Agriculture
Mali
 
Description A deeper understanding of how smallholder farmers perceive and manage risks is crucial to identify options that
increase farmers' adaptive capacity. We investigated a broad range of risks that play a role in farmers' decision making processes. In the cotton zone of Mali opportunities and constraints vary with the resource endowment of
farms. Furthermore, as households are large in this region, often comprising 20–50 family members, intra household
diversity may influence perceptions and risk management. For this reason, we analysed diversity both
among and within farms. Information was gathered through focus group discussions and a survey with 250
people from 58 households. Risk was assessed as the combination of the perceived frequency of occurrence of
hazards and the impact on food availability and income. Farmers faced a diversity of risks, with hazards related
to animal and personal health, and climate variability of highest concern. Resource endowment of farms was
related to risk perception to a limited extent. Differences within the household were related to the generational
factor and decision power, and not to gender. Household members with decision power worried most about
risks. Almost a quarter of described hazards occurred with a high frequency and led to a high impact on food
availability and income. Low resource-endowed farms were more often exposed to high risks than other farm
types. Farmers applied a variety of actions to cope with hazards, yet in many cases farmers lacked a response.
Medical actions were targeted to human and animal health hazards. Changes in field and animal management
practices, adapted consumption rates and calls on social interactions, were combined for a diversity of hazards.
By assessing the diversity of risks encountered by farmers and the diversity of risk management actions taken by
farmers, this study goes beyond common risk research that focuses on a single hazard. Our results suggest that
development interventions should not focus on either agronomic or economic options separately, but combine
both to strengthen social well-being and agricultural production.
 
Publisher Elsevier
 
Date 2020-08
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/11641/1/1-s2.0-S0308521X20307666-main.pdf
Huet, E K and Adam, M and Giller, K E and Descheemaeker, K (2020) Diversity in perception and management of farming risks in southern Mali. Agricultural Systems (TSI), 184. pp. 1-15. ISSN 0308-521X