Opportunities and challenges for seasonal climate forecasts to more effectively assist smallholder farming decisions

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dc.contributor.authorChisadza, Brighten_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMushunje, Abbyssiniaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorNhundu, Kennethen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorPhiri, Ethel E.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2021-07-21T11:55:07Z
dc.date.available2021-07-21T11:55:07Z
dc.date.issued2020-01-29
dc.descriptionCITATION: Chisadza, B. et al. 2020. Opportunities and challenges for seasonal climate forecasts to more effectively assist smallholder farming decisions. South African Journal of Science, 116(1/2):4649, doi:10.17159/sajs.2020/4649.
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at https://sajs.co.za
dc.description.abstractThe ability of smallholder farmers to utilise seasonal climate forecast (SCF) information in farm planning to reflect anticipated climate is a precursor to improved farm management. However, the integration of SCF by smallholder farmers into farm planning has been poor, partly because of the lack of forecast skill, lack of communication and inability to see the relevance of the SCFs for specific farming decisions. The relevance of seasonal climate forecasting in farming decisions can be enhanced through improved understanding of SCF from the smallholder farmers’ perspective. Studies that have been done of how smallholder farmers understand SCF and how the available SCFs influence smallholder farmers’ decisions are limited. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to review how smallholder farmers make decisions on farming practices based on SCFs and the challenges and opportunities thereof. The review shows that the majority of smallholder farmers in Africa make use of either scientific or indigenous knowledge climate forecasts and, in some cases, a combination of both. There are mixed results in the area of evaluating benefits of SCFs in decision-making and farm production. In some cases, the outcomes are positive, whereas in others they are difficult to quantify. Thus, the integration of SCFs into smallholder farmers’ decision-making is still a challenge. We recommend that significant work must be done to improve climate forecasts in terms of format, and spatial and temporal context in order for them to be more useful in influencing decision-making by smallholder farmers.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://sajs.co.za/article/view/4649
dc.description.versionPublisher's version
dc.format.extent5 pages
dc.identifier.citationChisadza, B. et al. 2020. Opportunities and challenges for seasonal climate forecasts to more effectively assist smallholder farming decisions. South African Journal of Science, 116(1/2):4649, doi:10.17159/sajs.2020/4649.
dc.identifier.issn1996-7489 (online)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.17159/sajs.2020/4649
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110762
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherASSAf
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain copyright
dc.subjectClimatic changes -- Economic aspectsen_ZA
dc.subjectSmallholder farmers -- Climatic factors -- Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectFarmers -- Effect of environment onen_ZA
dc.subjectAgriculture -- Effect of global warming onen_ZA
dc.titleOpportunities and challenges for seasonal climate forecasts to more effectively assist smallholder farming decisionsen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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