Étude de la durabilité socio-économique et agroécologique des pratiques paysannes d’adaptation aux changements climatiques

Abstract

Climate change and land degradation pose significant challenges to agriculture, affecting productivity, food security, and livelihoods, particularly in vulnerable regions and countries like Cameroon. Despite the documented scale of these issues, the country’s responses, through programs and projects designed to strengthen adaptation and mitigation practices in areas such as agroforestry and water management, which are crucial for alleviating these impacts, have not yet provided conclusive evidence of enhancing the sustainability and resilience of agroecosystems. This gap is largely due to the absence of recognized technical and scientific frameworks to assess the sustainability and resilience of agroecosystems at a territorial scale. This study aims to evaluate the sustainability of smallholder agroecosystems in the forest savanna transition zones of Central Cameroon, integrating local constraints and opportunities to systematize the sustainability evaluation approach. To achieve the specific objectives of the study, an ecosystem-based approach combining surveys and observations was utilized. Primary data were collected during three periods: January-March 2020, March-May 2021, and July September 2021, from 180 farm owners selected from the districts of Batchenga, Obala, Ntui, and Mbangassina. The Response-Inducing Sustainability Evaluation (RISE) method was applied to calculate sustainability scores by evaluating the ecological, economic, and social performance of the farms. A detailed characterization of the agroecosystems was conducted, including typology, vulnerability, and resilience. Statistical tools and techniques for descriptive, multivariate, and inferential analyses were employed. The results indicate that the average farmed area is 4.55 ± 0.21 hectares. The main crops include Theobroma cacao (cocoa), Dioscorea spp. (yam), Manihot esculenta (cassava), Zea mays (maize), Musa paradisiaca (plantain), Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), and Arachis hypogaea (groundnut). Most farm work is carried out manually using tools like machetes and hoes. Farmers face several challenges, including poor market organization, deteriorating roads, lack of agricultural inputs, seasonal uncertainties, limited access to irrigation, land insecurity, and restricted access to credit and agricultural equipment, depending on the site. Factor analysis identified four groups of farms. Group 1, comprising 44.44% of farmers, has 19.87 ± 1.34 years of farming experience. Their households average six members and cultivate two small plots (2.51 ± 0.12 ha), with the main one covering 1.31 ± 0.08 ha. Group 2, representing 15.56% of farmers, has an average of 23.10 ± 2.75 years of experience and employs an average of three external human labor units. This group has the largest number of active family members (average of eight people) and the largest households (approximately 15 members). Group 3, comprising 34.44% of respondents, xxiv has households with three members and employs an average of four external workers. They have 22.14 ± 1.54 years of farming experience. Group 4, consisting of 5.56% of respondents, is distinguished by their income, area size, and 20.2 years of farming experience. Their households average three members. Farms in Obala were slightly vulnerable to climate change (score of 1.1), while those in Batchenga, Ntui, and Mbangassina had higher vulnerability scores (2.16, 2.17, and 2.99, respectively). A significant non-causal correlation between vulnerability and certain continuous and discrete factors was identified. Binomial logistic regression analysis revealed significant inverse causal links between five of the six explanatory factors and the sensitivity of smallholder farmers to climate change. Among these factors, the farmed area (β = −0.348, p < 0.0001), soil fertility (β = −0.568, p < 0.05), and cultivation of Dioscorea spp. (β = −0.926, p < 0.05), precipitation over the past 10 to 30 years (β = −0.582, p < 0.05), and annual income (β = −0.002, p < 0.01) reduced smallholder vulnerability. Drought showed a significant positive causal relationship. To reduce vulnerability, it is recommended that farmers be provided with increased financial assistance and reliable climate information. Farmers identified key factors for the resilience of their agricultural systems to climate change, including annual income, membership in farmer associations, access to agricultural inputs, and machines. These elements enhance the capacity of family farming systems to tackle climate challenges. In conclusion, these factors strengthen farmers’ resilience to climate change. The sustainability evaluation highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the farms. Challenges to transitioning toward more sustainable systems in forest-savanna transition zones were identified. The study also underscored the importance of understanding how farmers’ decisions impact the sustainability of their farms and their use of decision-making tools for sustainable management. This holistic approach aids in better comprehending farm sustainability and guiding decisions for more efficient resource management, thereby contributing to sustainable development.