Vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change in Central America and Mexico: current knowledge and research gaps

Background

This article recognizes that smallholder farmers are both critical to the global agricultural sector yet are one of the most vulnerable populations to climate change. Specifically, farmers in Central America and Mexico are experiences particularly high threats, thus the authors focus on this subgroup.

Goals & Methods

The objective of this study is to understand climate change vulnerability of smallholder farmers - defined as subsistence and cash crop growers in this paper - along with gaps that exist in current understanding. The authors achieve this through a literature review and summarizing information on the following topics: impacts of climate change on smallholder farmers, location of most vulnerable groups, and adaption measures.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The authors conclude that while there is extensive information on the impacts of climate change on agriculture there is extensive gaps as it relates to smallholder farmers in Central America and Mexico. They suggest that more understanding at a geographically specific scale is necessary to ensure effective, evidence-based adaption measures.