Gender-specific Vulnerability on Climate Change and Food Security Status - A catchment approach on agroforestry systems - a multi-country case study

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to assess gender specific smallholder farmers’ vulnerability levels against CC and food security, and the specific role of Agroforestry System. The study was conducted in Ethiopia (Zege Catchment) (ZC), Zimbabwe (Upper Save Catchment) (USC), and Burkina Faso (Nakambe Catchment) (NC). The study employed a quantitative approach (n= 180) with a complement of a qualitative approach (n= 33 key informant interviews and 6 focus group discussions). Households in ZC (58%), in NC (55%), and US (40%) do not cover their household food consumption from crop production. The focus group discussion and key informants’ interviews result confirmed that households are highly dependent in perennial (cash crops like Coffee, Mango, and Avocado) production than annual crop production. Exposure indicators in ZC (0.758), USC (0.774) and NC (0,944); and sensitivity indicators in ZC (0.849), and NC (0.937) are statistically significant and highly correlated with vulnerability and in the USC, the adaptive capacity (0.746) and exposure (0.774) are statistically significant and highly correlated with vulnerability. Vulnerability levels of the NC are very high (0.75) (0.85 female and 0.65 male participants) as compared to the USC (0.66) (0.69 female and 0.61 male participants) and ZC (0.47) (0.34 female and 0.58 male participants). Female-headed households had statistically significantly lower vulnerability index compared to male in ZC, while male-headed households had statistically significantly lower vulnerability index compared to female in USC and in NC. The reason is land certification in ZC (80%), higher than US (10%) and NC (8%), which contribute is strengthening land holding rights of women. Agroforestry practices variables across the study catchments had statistically significant contribution for households’ adaptive capacity. For example, average income (0.804) and TLU (0.780) in ZC and TLU (0.629) in USC; and average income (0.812), and TLU (0.705) in NC has the highest load and positively associated with adaptive capacity. In NC, households with no accessibility of agroforestry information (-0.745) have a significant negative correlation with adaptive capacity. We conclude that, agroforestry practices do have substantial benefit to increase women adaptive capacity and reduce their vulnerability to climate change and food insecurity.