IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v15y2025i13p1390-d1689794.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nature-Based Solutions Contribute to Improve the Adaptive Capacity of Coffee Farmers: Evidence from Mexico

Author

Listed:
  • Patricia Ruiz-García

    (Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Investigación Científica s/n, C.U., Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico)

  • Alejandro Ismael Monterroso-Rivas

    (Departamento de Suelos, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km. 38.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Chapingo, Texcoco 56230, Estado de México, Mexico)

  • Ana Cecilia Conde-Álvarez

    (Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Investigación Científica s/n, C.U., Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico)

Abstract

Climate change is affecting farmers’ livelihoods and their ability to adapt. Therefore, solutions for adaptation and resilience are required. The objective of the work was to assess how nature-based solutions contribute to improving the adaptive capacity of farmers, taking coffee production in Mexico as a case study. It followed the theoretical approach of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, which involves identifying the capacities, resources, and activities that a population possesses, considering the following six dimensions: natural, social, human, economic, physical, and political. A rapid systematic review was carried out to identify measurement indicators for each dimension. A semi-structured survey was constructed to collect information on the indicators in the field. The surveys were administered to a sample of 60 randomly selected farmers who utilized various management types incorporating nature-based solutions, including diversified polyculture, simple polyculture, and simplified shade. In addition, farmers who do not use nature-based solutions and who grow coffee in full sun were considered. An index of adaptive capacity was then calculated for each coffee agroecosystem assessed, and finally, actions were proposed to strengthen the livelihood dimensions and increase the adaptive capacity of farmers. It was found that farmers using the management types diverse polyculture and simple polyculture had an average value of the adaptive capacity index classified as high (15.06 and 11.61, respectively). Farmers using the simplified shade management type had an average index value classified as medium (8.59). Whereas, farmers producing coffee in full sun were classified with low adaptive capacity in the average index value (−0.49). The results obtained in this research can contribute to informed government decision making (local, state, or federal) in generating policies to improve or design nature-based solutions in the agricultural sector, thereby increasing the adaptive capacity of producers in the face of climate variability.

Suggested Citation

  • Patricia Ruiz-García & Alejandro Ismael Monterroso-Rivas & Ana Cecilia Conde-Álvarez, 2025. "Nature-Based Solutions Contribute to Improve the Adaptive Capacity of Coffee Farmers: Evidence from Mexico," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-22, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:13:p:1390-:d:1689794
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/13/1390/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/13/1390/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kennedy Muthee & Lalisa Duguma & Judith Nzyoka & Peter Minang, 2021. "Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Practices as a Nature-Based Solution to Promote Water-Energy-Food Nexus Balance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Ricky P. Laureta & Ric Ryan H. Regalado & Ermar B. De La Cruz, 2021. "Climate vulnerability scenario of the agricultural sector in the Bicol River Basin, Philippines," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Alejandro Monterroso & Cecilia Conde & Carlos Gay & David Gómez & José López, 2014. "Two methods to assess vulnerability to climate change in the Mexican agricultural sector," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 445-461, April.
    4. Quiroga, Sonia & Suárez, Cristina & Diego Solís, Juan & Martinez-Juarez, Pablo, 2020. "Framing vulnerability and coffee farmers’ behaviour in the context of climate change adaptation in Nicaragua," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    5. Muhammad Irshad Ahmad & Hengyun Ma, 2020. "Climate Change and Livelihood Vulnerability in Mixed Crop–Livestock Areas: The Case of Province Punjab, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-31, January.
    6. Barry Smit & Ian Burton & Richard Klein & J. Wandel, 2000. "An Anatomy of Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 223-251, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yongdeng Lei & Jing’ai Wang & Yaojie Yue & Hongjian Zhou & Weixia Yin, 2014. "Rethinking the relationships of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation from a disaster risk perspective," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 70(1), pages 609-627, January.
    2. Kamaldeen Mohammed & Evans Batung & Moses Kansanga & Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong & Isaac Luginaah, 2021. "Livelihood diversification strategies and resilience to climate change in semi-arid northern Ghana," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1-23, February.
    3. Fobissie Kalame & Johnson Nkem & Monica Idinoba & Markku Kanninen, 2009. "Matching national forest policies and management practices for climate change adaptation in Burkina Faso and Ghana," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 135-151, February.
    4. Philip Antwi-Agyei & Andrew J. Dougill & Lindsay C. Stringer, 2017. "Assessing Coherence between Sector Policies and Climate Compatible Development: Opportunities for Triple Wins," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-16, November.
    5. Freudenreich, Hanna & Musshoff, Oliver & Wiercinski, Ben, "undated". "The Relationship between Farmers' Shock Experiences and their Uncertainty Preferences - Experimental Evidence from Mexico," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 256212, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    6. Arun S. Malik & Stephen C. Smith, 2012. "Adaptation To Climate Change In Low-Income Countries: Lessons From Current Research And Needs From Future Research," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(02), pages 1-22.
    7. Md. Sadique Rahman & Farhad Zulfiqar & Hayat Ullah & Sushil Kumar Himanshu & Mofasser Rahman & Avishek Datta, 2024. "Does the adoption of homestead gardening increase dietary diversity in climate-vulnerable coastal areas? Evidence from Bangladesh," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 859-878, September.
    8. Seo, S. Niggol & Mendelsohn, Robert, 2008. "An analysis of crop choice: Adapting to climate change in South American farms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 109-116, August.
    9. Seo, Sungno Niggol & Mendelsohn, Robert, 2007. "Climate change adaptation in Africa : a microeconomic analysis of livestock choice," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4277, The World Bank.
    10. Alain Ayong Le Kama & Aude Pommeret, 2017. "Supplementing Domestic Mitigation and Adaptation with Emissions Reduction Abroad to Face Climate Change," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(4), pages 875-891, December.
    11. Singh, Amarendra Pratap & Narayanan, Krishnan, 2016. "How can weather affect crop area diversity? Panel data evidence from Andhra Pradesh, a rice growing state of India," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 118(2), pages 1-10, August.
    12. Angela Rosa & Angela Santangelo & Simona Tondelli, 2021. "Investigating the Integration of Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management into Urban Planning Tools. The Ravenna Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, January.
    13. Md. Humayain Kabir & Mohammed Abdul Baten, 2024. "Sustainability of Climate Change Adaptation Practices in South-Western Coastal Area of Bangladesh," Journal of Sustainable Development, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(5), pages 1-1, July.
    14. Shannon McNeeley, 2012. "Examining barriers and opportunities for sustainable adaptation to climate change in Interior Alaska," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 111(3), pages 835-857, April.
    15. Seraina Buob & Gunter Stephan, 2008. "Global Climate Change and the Funding of Adaptation," Diskussionsschriften dp0804, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    16. W.Neil Adger, 2001. "Scales of governance and environmental justice for adaptation and mitigation of climate change," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(7), pages 921-931.
    17. Claudio Szlafsztein, 2014. "Development projects for small rural communities in the Brazilian Amazon region as potential strategies and practices of climate change adaptation," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 143-160, February.
    18. Dirk Heinrichs & Kerstin Krellenberg & Michail Fragkias, 2013. "Urban Responses to Climate Change: Theories and Governance Practice in Cities of the Global South," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 1865-1878, November.
    19. Mavi, Can Askan, 2020. "Can harmful events be another source of environmental traps?," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 29-46.
    20. Daniel Scott & Geoff McBoyle, 2007. "Climate change adaptation in the ski industry," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 12(8), pages 1411-1431, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:13:p:1390-:d:1689794. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.