IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-03103516.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Agricultural households’ adaptation to weather shocks in SubSaharan Africa: What implications for land-use change and deforestation?

Author

Listed:
  • Philippe Delacote

    (BETA - Bureau d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée - AgroParisTech - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar - UL - Université de Lorraine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CEC - Chaire Economie du Climat - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)

  • Julia Girard

    (CEC - Chaire Economie du Climat - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)

  • Antoine Leblois

    (BETA - Bureau d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée - AgroParisTech - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) - Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar - UL - Université de Lorraine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is regularly threatened by the occurrence of weather shocks due to extreme events as well as inter-annual and intra-seasonal climate variability. In this paper, we wonder whether the way farmers respond to shocks can affect land-use and induce deforestation, a question that has only been marginally studied in the literature. We conduct a review of the impacts of weather shocks on agriculture, and review thestrategies used by farmers to cope with and adapt to these threats. We then wonder how these strategies can affect land-use, drawing from the land-use change literature, and reviewing publications that have connected weather shocks, adaptation and land-use change. It appears that weather shocks can induce land-use change both in the short and long-term, with some practices leading to land conversion while others may foster conservation. However, many effects remain ambiguous, and are likely to depend on socioeconomic and geographic factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Philippe Delacote & Julia Girard & Antoine Leblois, 2021. "Agricultural households’ adaptation to weather shocks in SubSaharan Africa: What implications for land-use change and deforestation?," Post-Print hal-03103516, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03103516
    DOI: 10.1017/S1355770X2000056X
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-03103516v1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-03103516v1/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1017/S1355770X2000056X?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Delacote, Philippe, 2007. "Agricultural expansion, forest products as safety nets, and deforestation," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(2), pages 235-249, April.
    2. Araujo, Claudio & Combes, Jean-Louis & Féres, José Gustavo, 2019. "Determinants of Amazon deforestation: the role of off-farm income," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(2), pages 138-156, April.
    3. Youba Sokona & Fatma Denton, 2001. "Climate change impacts: can Africa cope with the challenges?," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(1), pages 117-123, March.
    4. Carter, Michael R. & Little, Peter D. & Mogues, Tewodaj & Negatu, Workneh, 2007. "Poverty Traps and Natural Disasters in Ethiopia and Honduras," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 835-856, May.
    5. Harold Alderman & Christina H. Paxson, 1994. "Do the Poor Insure? A Synthesis of the Literature on Risk and Consumption in Developing Countries," International Economic Association Series, in: Edmar L. Bacha (ed.), Economics in a Changing World, chapter 3, pages 48-78, Palgrave Macmillan.
    6. Cees de Haan, 2016. "Prospects for Livestock-Based Livelihoods in Africa's Drylands," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 24815, April.
    7. Mahmud Yesuf & Randall A. Bluffstone, 2009. "Poverty, Risk Aversion, and Path Dependence in Low-Income Countries: Experimental Evidence from Ethiopia," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 91(4), pages 1022-1037.
    8. van Asten, P.J.A. & Fermont, A.M. & Taulya, G., 2011. "Drought is a major yield loss factor for rainfed East African highland banana," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(4), pages 541-552, February.
    9. Catherine Araujo Bonjean & Catherine Simonet, 2016. "Are grain markets in Niger driven by speculation?," Post-Print halshs-01297294, HAL.
    10. Catherine Araujo Bonjean & Catherine Simonet, 2016. "Are grain markets in Niger driven by speculation?," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 68(3), pages 714-735.
    11. Veljanoska, Stefanija, 2018. "Can Land Fragmentation Reduce the Exposure of Rural Households to Weather Variability?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 42-51.
    12. Frédéric Kosmowski & Antoine Leblois & Benjamin Sultan, 2016. "Perceptions of recent rainfall changes in Niger: a comparison between climate-sensitive and non-climate sensitive households," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 227-241, March.
    13. Libois, François, 2022. "Success and failure of communities managing natural resources: Static and dynamic inefficiencies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    14. Takasaki, Yoshito & Barham, Bradford L. & Coomes, Oliver T., 2004. "Risk coping strategies in tropical forests: floods, illnesses, and resource extraction," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 203-224, May.
    15. Sunderlin, William D. & Angelsen, Arild & Belcher, Brian & Burgers, Paul & Nasi, Robert & Santoso, Levania & Wunder, Sven, 2005. "Livelihoods, forests, and conservation in developing countries: An Overview," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1383-1402, September.
    16. Subhrendu K. Pattanayak & Erin O. Sills, 2001. "Do Tropical Forests Provide Natural Insurance? The Microeconomics of Non-Timber Forest Product Collection in the Brazilian Amazon," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 77(4), pages 595-612.
    17. Oecd, 2009. "Climate Change and Africa," OECD Journal: General Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 2009(1), pages 5-35.
    18. Delacote, Philippe, 2009. "Commons as insurance: safety nets or poverty traps?," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(3), pages 305-322, June.
    19. Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, 2010. "Drought Coping and Adaptation Strategies: Understanding Adaptations to Climate Change in Agro-pastoral Livestock Production in Makueni District, Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 22(5), pages 623-642, December.
    20. Reenberg, Anette & Paarup-Laursen, Bjarke, 1997. "Determinants for land use strategies in a Sahelian agro-ecosystem--Anthropological and ecological geographical aspects of natural resource management," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 53(2-3), pages 209-229.
    21. Frédéric Kosmowski & Antoine Leblois & Benjamin Sultan, 2016. "Perceptions of recent rainfall changes in Niger: a comparison between climate-sensitive and non-climate sensitive households," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 227-241, March.
    22. Mette Wik & Tewodros Aragie Kebede & Olvar Bergland & Stein Holden, 2004. "On the measurement of risk aversion from experimental data," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(21), pages 2443-2451.
    23. Edmar L. Bacha (ed.), 1994. "Economics in a Changing World," International Economic Association Series, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-23458-5, November.
    24. Corbett, Jane, 1988. "Famine and household coping strategies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 16(9), pages 1099-1112, September.
    25. Julius Kotir, 2011. "Climate change and variability in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review of current and future trends and impacts on agriculture and food security," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 587-605, June.
    26. Hassan, Rashid M. & Nhemachena, Charles, 2008. "Determinants of African farmers’ strategies for adapting to climate change: Multinomial choice analysis," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 2(01), pages 1-22, March.
    27. Angelsen, Arild & Jagger, Pamela & Babigumira, Ronnie & Belcher, Brian & Hogarth, Nicholas J. & Bauch, Simone & Börner, Jan & Smith-Hall, Carsten & Wunder, Sven, 2014. "Environmental Income and Rural Livelihoods: A Global-Comparative Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 12-28.
    28. Fisher, Monica & Chaudhury, Moushumi & McCusker, Brent, 2010. "Do Forests Help Rural Households Adapt to Climate Variability? Evidence from Southern Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 1241-1250, September.
    29. Robledo, Carmenza & Clot, Nicole & Hammill, Anne & Riché, Béatrice, 2012. "The role of forest ecosystems in community-based coping strategies to climate hazards: Three examples from rural areas in Africa," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 20-28.
    30. Richard Damania & Scott Moore & Sébastien Desbureaux & Marie Hyland & Asif Islam & Aude-Sophie Rodella & Jason Russ & Esha Zaveri, 2017. "Uncharted Waters," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28096, April.
    31. Denis Gautier & David Denis & Bruno Locatelli, 2016. "Impacts of drought and responses of rural populations in West Africa: a systematic review," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(5), pages 666-681, September.
    32. Thornton, P.K. & van de Steeg, J. & Notenbaert, A. & Herrero, M., 2009. "The impacts of climate change on livestock and livestock systems in developing countries: A review of what we know and what we need to know," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 101(3), pages 113-127, July.
    33. Mintewab Bezabih & Mare Sarr, 2012. "Risk Preferences and Environmental Uncertainty: Implications for Crop Diversification Decisions in Ethiopia," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 53(4), pages 483-505, December.
    34. Sunderlin, William D. & Angelsen, Arild & Resosudarmo, Daju Pradnja & Dermawan, Ahmad & Rianto, Edy, 2001. "Economic Crisis, Small Farmer Well-Being, and Forest Cover Change in Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 767-782, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. He, Xi & Chen, Zhenshan, 2022. "Weather, cropland expansion, and deforestation in Ethiopia," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).

    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. Pauline Castaing, 2020. "Joint liability and adaptation to climate change: evidence from Burkinabe cooperatives," Post-Print hal-02942129, HAL.
    2. Meyer, Jessica, 2023. "How do forests contribute to food security following a weather shock? Evidence from Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    3. Jagger, Pamela & Cheek, Jennifer Zavaleta & Miller, Daniel & Ryan, Casey & Shyamsundar, Priya & Sills, Erin, 2022. "The Role of Forests and Trees in Poverty Dynamics," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    4. Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt & Pouliot, Mariève & Kim Bakkegaard, Riyong, 2012. "Combining income and assets measures to include the transitory nature of poverty in assessments of forest dependence: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 37-46.
    5. Antoine Leblois, 2021. "Mitigating the impact of bad rainy seasons in poor agricultural regions to tackle deforestation," Post-Print hal-03111007, HAL.
    6. Wunder, Sven & Börner, Jan & Shively, Gerald & Wyman, Miriam, 2014. "Safety Nets, Gap Filling and Forests: A Global-Comparative Perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 29-42.
    7. Razafindratsima, Onja H. & Kamoto, Judith F.M. & Sills, Erin O. & Mutta, Doris N. & Song, Conghe & Kabwe, Gillian & Castle, Sarah E. & Kristjanson, Patricia M. & Ryan, Casey M. & Brockhaus, Maria & Su, 2021. "Reviewing the evidence on the roles of forests and tree-based systems in poverty dynamics," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    8. Shyamsundar, Priya & Ahlroth, Sofia & Kristjanson, Patricia & Onder, Stefanie, 2020. "Supporting pathways to prosperity in forest landscapes – A PRIME framework," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    9. Gebremariam, Gebrelibanos & Tesfaye, Wondimagegn, 2018. "The heterogeneous effect of shocks on agricultural innovations adoption: Microeconometric evidence from rural Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 154-161.
    10. Coomes, Oliver T. & Takasaki, Yoshito & Abizaid, Christian & Arroyo-Mora, J. Pablo, 2016. "Environmental and market determinants of economic orientation among rain forest communities: Evidence from a large-scale survey in western Amazonia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 260-271.
    11. Edward B. Barbier & Jacob P. Hochard, 2019. "Poverty-Environment Traps," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(3), pages 1239-1271, November.
    12. Miller, Daniel C. & Hajjar, Reem, 2020. "Forests as pathways to prosperity: Empirical insights and conceptual advances," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    13. Mulungu, Kelvin & Kilimani, Nicholas, 2023. "Does forest access reduce reliance on costly shock-coping strategies? Evidence from Malawi," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    14. Wunder, Sven & Angelsen, Arild & Belcher, Brian, 2014. "Forests, Livelihoods, and Conservation: Broadening the Empirical Base," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 1-11.
    15. Byela Tibesigwa & Martine Visser & Jane Turpie, 2017. "Climate change and South Africa’s commercial farms: an assessment of impacts on specialised horticulture, crop, livestock and mixed farming systems," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 607-636, April.
    16. Yoshito Takasaki & Bradford L. Barham & Oliver T. Coomes, 2010. "Smoothing Income against Crop Flood Losses in Amazonia: Rain Forest or Rivers as a Safety Net?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 48-63, February.
    17. Andrew M. Linke & Frank D. W. Witmer & John O’Loughlin, 2020. "Do people accurately report droughts? Comparison of instrument-measured and national survey data in Kenya," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1143-1160, October.
    18. Nerfa, Lauren & Rhemtulla, Jeanine M. & Zerriffi, Hisham, 2020. "Forest dependence is more than forest income: Development of a new index of forest product collection and livelihood resources," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    19. Ehara, Makoto & Matsuura, Toshiya & Gong, Hao & Sokh, Heng & Leng, Chivin & Choeung, Hong Narith & Sem, Rida & Nomura, Hisako & Tsuyama, Ikutaro & Matsui, Tetsuya & Hyakumura, Kimihiko, 2023. "Where do people vulnerable to deforestation live? Triaging forest conservation interventions for sustainable non-timber forest products," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    20. Jonas Ngouhouo-Poufoun & Sabine Chaupain-Guillot & Youba Ndiaye & Denis Jean Sonwa & Kevin Yana Njabo & Philippe Delacote, 2024. "Cocoa, livelihoods, and deforestation within the Tridom landscape in the Congo Basin: A spatial analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(6), pages 1-29, June.

    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:hal:journl:hal-03103516. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.