Understanding coffee farmers’ poverty, food insecurity and adaptive responses to climate stress. Evidence from western Honduras

Abstract

Central America faces significant vulnerability to climatic variations. In recent years, national and international organizations have promoted climate-smart agricultural (CSA) to help coffee farmers adapt to climate change. However, limited scientific evidence exists regarding the appropriateness of these strategies in mitigating vulnerability. This study aims to understand the suitability of CSA practices promoted by Honduras’ coffee sector in addressing the needs and vulnerability of coffee-farming households. We integrated quantitative and qualitative methods, to understand how coffee farmers’ poverty levels, and food insecurity status are associated with their dependence on coffee income, demographic characteristics, prevailing stressors, and the responses from farmers and value chain stakeholders. Multiple linear regression and machine learning techniques examine these relationships. Data from a survey of 348 coffee farmers in western Honduras, along with key stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions, inform our analyses. Results indicate that households’ poverty levels and food insecurity are associated with being more dependent on income from the coffee production than from other income sources. Most CSA-related efforts focus on maintaining or enhancing the coffee production, such as introducing grasses or shrub trees, but do not explicit address food security concerns among smallholders. However, around 50% of the smallholders are food insecure. Coffee households report climate hazards, pests and diseases, and low coffee prices as key problems, which are associated with crop losses, income instability, and food insecurity. Our findings suggest that broadening the scope of coffee CSA practices to include food security and income stability could better support smallholder resilience.