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Smallholder farmers’ challenges and opportunities: Implications for agricultural production, environment and food security

This recently published journal article by Dr. Tran Anh Thong - a Senior Researcher of HAPRI's team - offers a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities faced by smallholder farmers in Northwest Cambodia, with a focus on the implications for agricultural production, environmental sustainability, and food security. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining climate projections, household surveys, crop monitoring, and semi-structured interviews to provide a holistic understanding of the complex issues affecting smallholder farmers in the region.

Hierarchical tree-structured maps depicting the proportions of the different farm household characteristics of each household typology


The research highlights several key findings:

  • Climate projections indicate rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns, which are likely to significantly impact agricultural systems and smallholder livelihoods.

  • Smallholder farmers are categorized into four distinct typologies based on their farming strategies, socio-economic characteristics, and access to resources.

  • Farmers face numerous challenges, including rising input costs, low crop prices, aging populations, and extreme weather events, which contribute to reduced household incomes and food insecurity.

  • Different adaptation strategies are employed by farmers, but these often fail to significantly mitigate their overall vulnerability.


The authors propose several recommendations to enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers, including balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability, promoting sustainable intensification for irrigated farms, supporting diversified income strategies for rainfed farms, and implementing climate-resilient agricultural practices.


This study contributes valuable insights to the global discourse on poverty alleviation and food security, emphasizing the importance of tailored interventions that consider the heterogeneity of rural farming communities. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders working towards sustainable agricultural development and food security in Cambodia and similar contexts globally.


KEYWORDS:

  • Climate projections

  • Household typology

  • Farmer challenges

  • Adaptive capacity

  • Food security

  • Smallholder farmers

Citation: 

Touch, V., Tan, D. K., Cook, B. R., Li Liu, D., Cross, R., Tran, T. A., ... & Cowie, A. (2024). Smallholder farmers’ challenges and opportunities: Implications for agricultural production, environment and food security. Journal of Environmental Management, 370, 122536. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122536


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