By Mary Kate McCoy
In Madagascar — one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries — a devastating drought, punctuated by intense cyclones, has pushed more than a million people into hunger.
As extreme weather exacerbates poverty and malnutrition, farmers are caught in a dangerous Catch-22: Climate change threatens their crops and livelihoods, prompting them to expand their farms by cutting down trees. This, in turn, intensifies the effect of droughts, flooding and soil erosion.
According to a new report, sustainable agriculture practices can help farmers break this cycle.
The report assesses the results of a program launched in Madagascar five years ago by Conservation International and the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund to help farmers implement new climate-smart practices — like using drought-resistant crops, mulching to prevent soil erosion during heavy rains and planting native fruit trees that provide both shade and new sources of income.
Researchers say those efforts are paying off. And they could inform how farmers around the world adapt to the climate crisis.
The report found that farmers who adopted sustainable agriculture practices were not only less likely to deforest surrounding land, they also had greater food security — an important indicator in a country where about a third of the population does not have enough food.
“The farmers that are changing their practices are seeing results,” said Camila Donatti, a Conservation International expert on climate change who authored the report.
“Climate change is already negatively impacting crop production around the world — and is expected to worsen in the years to come,” she added. “These findings show that we can make a difference in a short amount of time.”
As climate change threatens farmers around the world, the report provides the most comprehensive look yet at how they can become more resilient to climate change, Donatti said.
Researchers surveyed more than 1,600 participating farmers to learn more about the quantity and type of food they eat and their ability to pay for essential needs, like housing, clothing and medications.
Over the course of five years, the farmers’ food security shifted measurably.
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