Coffee Agroforestry for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Gimbi District, West Wollega
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Date
2023-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study examined the role of coffee-based agroforestry for climate change adaptation, food security and tree diversity management in Gimbi district West Wollega. A household survey, focus group discussion, and key informant interviews were used to generate socioeconomic data. The sample plots of the forest survey of coffee-based agroforestry systems were also used to assess tree diversity and measure tree height and diameter to estimate the aboveground and belowground biomass. One-way ANOVA, binary logit model, ordered logit model and multinomial logit models were employed to analyze the perception and adaptation strategies, the role of crop diversification in improving food security of the households, and tree diversity and biomass carbon stock analysis along altitudinal gradients of coffee-based agroforestry systems in the sampled area. The comparison of tree diversity and biomass carbon stock analysis was conducted along the altitudinal gradients, which is locally classified as lowland, midland and highland respectively. This study revealed that farmers noted the signs of climate change included increasing temperature, erratic rainfall, late onset of rainfall, and early cessation of rainfall. Farmers used three distinct sets of climate adaption strategies: crop management, soil and water conservation and intensive farm management. The primary determinants of farmers' perceptions of climate change and adaptation techniques were household head age, education, soil fertility, market access, and agricultural training. Age, education, and soil fertility level were the characteristics that significantly impacted farmers' perspectives and coping mechanisms among the primary drivers evaluated in the area. The farmers consume a diversified diet having the average dietary diversity score of 4.4±1.27 household heads. About 19.69% of the sampled households had low HDDS, 55.79% had medium, and 24.51% had high dietary diversity. All farmers consumed cereal crops during the 24-hour recall period, followed by condiments, beans, and vegetables. In the middle altitude, there were more woody species (28) than in the top altitude. Aboveground biomass had a carbon stock of 32.22 C t ha-1, whereas belowground biomass had a carbon stock of 8.38 C t ha-1. The lower altitude biomass carbon stocks were substantially bigger than the upper altitude, which were 48.4 C t ha-1 and 25.67 C t ha-1, respectively. With increasing altitude, the study found a statistically significant negative link between tree diversity and biomass carbon storage (P<0.05). Both socioeconomic and environmental factors have found to affect farmers’ perceptions and adaptation to climate change and the farmers’ food security improving intervention in the area. When implementing farm-based technologies, it is critical to assess farmers' level of awareness of climate change and their coping strategies, as well as the factors xii limiting their ability to adapt to climate change. Further, to implement sustainable agriculture and improve food security in the area, it is important to focus on agroforestry practices.
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Determinant, Climate change, Coffee agroforestry, Food security, Tree diversity