Resilience of small farmers to food insecurity in the context of climate change

Abstract

Climate risks compromise economic prospects and exacerbate poverty. The adverse impacts of climate change on sectors heavily dependent on natural resources, such as agriculture, represent a significant global threat, putting pressure on political, economic and environmental stability.

Economists are interested in climate change because of the direct and indirect economic losses it causes, with significant consequences for developing countries and poor populations. Consequently, strengthening the resilience of vulnerable individuals has become a priority aligned with sustainable development goals and public policies.

This paper explores the relationships between climate change, smallholder resilience and food insecurity through a narrative review of scientific literature. For small-scale farmers facing the challenges of climate change, resilience has become a central conceptual tool in development research. Gaining increasing importance in the development field, the concept of resilience has introduced an innovative framework for understanding poverty reduction and promoting development.

This approach has aroused considerable interest in academic circles, and has been widely embraced by policy-makers, donors and international organizations. However, the literature reflects a lively debate about the criticisms levelled at resilience theory. Researchers have voiced a number of objections to its usefulness and innovative contribution, with these differences manifesting themselves even in the definition of the concept. The multiple meanings attributed to the term have led to severe criticism of the validity of resilience theory. The inherent complexity of the concept makes it particularly tricky to measure or operationalize.

Mots-clés: Resilience, climate change, food security, small farmers.

JEL Classification : O13, Q18

Paper type : Theoretical Research