Crop-livestock integration practices, knowledge, and attitudes among smallholder farmers: Hedging against climate change-induced shocks in semi-arid Zimbabwe
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Date
2021-10-29
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
De Gruyter
Abstract
Domestic and international crops and livestock
trade remain fragile among Zimbabwean smallholder
farmers. Commercial crop-livestock integration in climate
change vulnerable areas is low and sparsely documented.
Practice, knowledge, and attitude indicators influencing
participation of smallholder farmers in crop-livestock
integrated platforms as a hedge against climate changeinduced risks and uncertainties were assessed. A survey
with 240 farmers in Insiza district, Matabeleland province, Zimbabwe was conducted. A modified knowledge,
attitude, and perception framework was used to analyze
data from six wards supported by World Vision through
supplementary livelihood programs on crop-livestock integration. Conventional crop-livestock (63%), mixed cropslivestock (25%), and traditional grains-livestock (12%)
options were dominant. There was a thin presence of stakeholders with a limited number of local buyers, contracting
companies, and agro-dealers who participate on these
platforms. Farmers have the knowledge, positive attitude,
and motivated perceptions about the potential of traditional grains-livestock mechanisms to reduce climate
change welfare compromising factors. Unbalanced policies,
limited financing, and uncompetitive marketing channels
limit the uptake of this option. Traditional grains-livestock
alternatives should be supported in semi-arid environments
to reduce food, income, and nutrition insecurity. Publicprivate partnerships should establish value addition
systems to increase the market size of traditional grainslivestock products and enhance commercialization.
Description
Keywords
climate change resilience, smallholder farmers, semi-arid area, crop-livestock integration, stakeholder networking