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Adaptation to Climate Change in Rainfed Agriculture in the Global South: Soil Biodiversity as Natural Insurance

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  • Sidibé, Yoro
  • Foudi, Sébastien
  • Pascual, Unai
  • Termansen, Mette

Abstract

Increased drought frequency in many parts of the world, especially in the global South, is expected due to accelerating climate change. We present a bioeconomic model that unpacks the role of soil biodiversity as contributing to both increasing and stabilizing agricultural productivity in low-input rainfed farming systems. The natural insurance value of soil biodiversity mostly depends on farmers' risk preferences as well as on the frequency of drought events to be insured against. We show that when the probability of drought increases, soil biodiversity conservation can be an optimal ecosystem-based adaptation strategy. However, this is only likely to be the case up to a given drought probability threshold. The natural insurance value of soil biodiversity for climate change adaptation in drought prone rainfed agricultural systems depends on a combination of key hydrological, agronomic and economic parameters.

Suggested Citation

  • Sidibé, Yoro & Foudi, Sébastien & Pascual, Unai & Termansen, Mette, 2018. "Adaptation to Climate Change in Rainfed Agriculture in the Global South: Soil Biodiversity as Natural Insurance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 588-596.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:146:y:2018:i:c:p:588-596
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.12.017
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    2. Shaun Beattie & Susannah M. Sallu, 2021. "How Does Nutrition Feature in Climate-Smart Agricultural Policy in Southern Africa? A Systematic Policy Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Hasibuan, Abdul Muis & Gregg, Daniel & Stringer, Randy, 2020. "Accounting for diverse risk attitudes in measures of risk perceptions: A case study of climate change risk for small-scale citrus farmers in Indonesia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    4. Soto-Montes-de-Oca, Gloria & Bark, Rosalind & González-Arellano, Salomón, 2020. "Incorporating the insurance value of peri-urban ecosystem services into natural hazard policies and insurance products: Insights from Mexico," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    5. Bartosz Bartkowski & Bernd Hansjürgens & Stefan Möckel & Stephan Bartke, 2018. "Institutional Economics of Agricultural Soil Ecosystem Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.

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