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<p>Smallholder maize farmers in South Africa are increasingly facing challenges due to climate change, which threaten agricultural productivity, welfare, and the long-term sustainability and resilience of smallholder farmers. This study evaluates the climate resilience of smallholder maize irrigators and identifies the determinants of climate resilience in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, using a survey, a multidimensional Climate Resilience Index (CRI), and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). The results revealed that, with an average resilience of 0.678, most farmers (48%) had a medium CRI, ranging from 0.646 to 0.707 units, with higher scores in absorptive capacity (0.387) and transformative capacity (0.368), but lower in adaptive capacity (0.270). The OLS regression revealed that institutional trust, access to climate information, credit, and financial safety nets significantly enhance resilience. Conversely, greater distances to markets and a wider implementation gap in water conservation policies negatively affect climate resilience. Additionally, higher income from both on-farm and off-farm sources improved resilience to climate stresses. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening institutional roles, enhancing access to information and financial services (including credit), promoting economic diversification, adopting climate-smart water-saving technologies, improving physical infrastructure and services, while addressing policy implementation challenges. Adoption of these interventions based on area specific stresses will enhance smallholder farmer climate resilience while supporting national efforts towards Sustainable Development Goal 13 of strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards, with the alignment of National Development Plan (NDP) of South Africa and African Union CAADP Strategy and Action Plan: 2026–2035 building resilient agri-food systems.</p>

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Resilience of small-Scale maize irrigation farmers to climate change stress in South Africa

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月26日

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  • Yonas T. Bahta,
  • Stephen A. Nyaki,
  • Henry Jordaan,
  • Markus Monteiro,
  • Edward Nesamvuni

摘要

Smallholder maize farmers in South Africa are increasingly facing challenges due to climate change, which threaten agricultural productivity, welfare, and the long-term sustainability and resilience of smallholder farmers. This study evaluates the climate resilience of smallholder maize irrigators and identifies the determinants of climate resilience in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, using a survey, a multidimensional Climate Resilience Index (CRI), and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). The results revealed that, with an average resilience of 0.678, most farmers (48%) had a medium CRI, ranging from 0.646 to 0.707 units, with higher scores in absorptive capacity (0.387) and transformative capacity (0.368), but lower in adaptive capacity (0.270). The OLS regression revealed that institutional trust, access to climate information, credit, and financial safety nets significantly enhance resilience. Conversely, greater distances to markets and a wider implementation gap in water conservation policies negatively affect climate resilience. Additionally, higher income from both on-farm and off-farm sources improved resilience to climate stresses. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening institutional roles, enhancing access to information and financial services (including credit), promoting economic diversification, adopting climate-smart water-saving technologies, improving physical infrastructure and services, while addressing policy implementation challenges. Adoption of these interventions based on area specific stresses will enhance smallholder farmer climate resilience while supporting national efforts towards Sustainable Development Goal 13 of strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards, with the alignment of National Development Plan (NDP) of South Africa and African Union CAADP Strategy and Action Plan: 2026–2035 building resilient agri-food systems.