A scoping review of adoption of climate-resilient crops by small-scale producers in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Climate-resilient crops and crop varieties have been recommended as a way for farmers to cope with or adapt to climate change, but despite the apparent benefits, rates of adoption by smallholder farmers are highly variable. Here we present a scoping review, using PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols), examining the conditions that have led to the adoption of climate-resilient crops over the past 30 years in lower- and middle-income countries. The descriptive analysis performed on 202 papers shows that small-scale producers adopted climate-resilient crops and varieties to cope with abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, flooding and salinity. The most prevalent trait in our dataset was drought tolerance, followed by water-use efficiency. Our analysis found that the most important determinants of adoption of climate-resilient crops were the availability and effectiveness of extension services and outreach, followed by education levels of heads of households, farmers' access to inputs-especially seeds and fertilizers-and socio-economic status of farming families. About 53% of studies reported that social differences such as sex, age, marital status and ethnicity affected the adoption of varieties or crops as climate change-adaptation strategies. On the basis of the collected evidence, this study presents a series of pathways and interventions that could contribute to higher adoption rates of climate-resilient crops and reduce dis-adoption.

Fig. 1. Summary of determinants of adoption of climate-resilient crops and crop varieties by farmers.

The inner ring outlines the five broad categories to which the 29 social and economic factors are mapped. The outer ring shows the factors within each broad category that were most frequently mentioned across the included studies. The relative area occupied by categories indicates their relevance. Charts with the full data and frequencies for each category are presented in the Supplementary Information. For illustrative purposes, factors mentioned in less than 20% of studies as determinants of adoption were excluded from this figure.

Fig. 2. Relevance of social, environmental and economic determinants of adoption of climate-resilient crops by region.

a–e, Individual determinants are ranked from highest to lowest number of studies in the regions: East Asia and Pacific (a), Latin America and the Caribbean (b), Middle East and North Africa (c), South Asia (d) and sub-Saharan Africa (e).

Fig. 3. Map of evidence distribution by country and crops.

a–d, Countries are colour-coded from yellow to red based on number of relevant studies involving cereal (a), legumes (b) vegetables (c) and roots, tubers and bananas (d).

Fig. 4. Climate-resilient trait or crop change adopted in response to climate change.

Studies are divided into the same geographical regions as in Fig. 2.

Extended Data Fig. 1. Access to advisory networks and knowledge about climate change.

Social determinants captured in this graph are a small-scale producers access to demonstration plots, access to weather and climate info, education of the head of household or respondent if not head of household, experience and skills of head of household or respondent, access to extension and outreach, access to social networks including co-operatives, and a knowledge and perceptions of crops and traits.

Extended Data Fig. 2. Crops fit for purpose.

Social determinants captured in this graph include farmer’s selection of a CR crop or variety based on environmental and agro-ecological conditions, cultural practices and preferences about CR crops and varieties, and selection based on knowledge about a crop traits.

Extended Data Fig. 3. Education, experience and household characteristics.

The social determinants captured in this graph include age of head of household or respondent, family size, gender, social and economic status of household, and diversification of household income.

Extended Data Fig. 4. Enabling environment.

The determinants captured in this graph include a farmer’s reported power and agency, access to institutions, and access to government programs.

Extended Data Fig. 5. Access to finance and technical resources (not advisory).

The determinants in this chart include access to energy and electricity, access to labour, access to water, distance to market for inputs and outputs, farm infrastructure, farm inputs (seeds and fertilizer), land (size and tenure), non-farm infrastructure, access to finance (transfers and credit).

Extended Data Fig. 6

Prisma Flow Diagram.