Dibakoane Siphosethu, Siyongwana Pakama, Shabalala Ayanda N
Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa.
Jamba. 2022 Sep 15;14(1):1302. doi: 10.4102/jamba.v14i1.1302. eCollection 2022.
In Africa, agriculture, particularly crop production, is a vital livelihood practice for women, who provide a larger proportion of the labour force. However, the high reliance on rain-fed agriculture, coupled with other socio-economic constraints, exposes female farmers to climatic risks. This paper investigates the participation of women in crop production, key challenges and their coping strategies for climatic disturbances. Drawing on the experiences of female farmers of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) in Mpumalanga, South Africa, the study blended qualitative and quantitative approaches to gather data on their vulnerability and adaptation strategies to climatic shocks. A questionnaire administered through face-to-face interaction and online surveys was the main instrument used to obtain data. This study revealed diverse challenges faced by female farmers in the form of high susceptibility to climatic disruptions, limited funding and gaps in accessing agricultural inputs and equipment (machinery, seeds and fertilisers) and pests. The effects of climate variability manifest in low crop outputs and inferior yields, food insecurity and loss of revenue. The most preferred coping strategies are changing planting and harvesting dates, followed by eating less food, looking for jobs and crop rotation. Although the main source of support comes from both family and government, the majority of the female farmers do not use modern scientific-based and input-intensive agricultural coping strategies such as the use of irrigation systems because of lack of livelihood assets and lower literacy levels.
在非洲，农业，尤其是作物生产，是女性至关重要的生计活动，她们构成了劳动力的较大比例。然而，对雨养农业的高度依赖，再加上其他社会经济制约因素，使女性农民面临气候风险。本文调查了女性在作物生产中的参与情况、主要挑战以及她们应对气候干扰的策略。该研究借鉴了南非姆普马兰加省萨巴丘韦地方市政当局（TCLM）女性农民的经验，采用定性和定量方法相结合的方式，收集她们在气候冲击下的脆弱性及适应策略的数据。通过面对面互动和在线调查发放问卷是获取数据的主要手段。本研究揭示了女性农民面临的各种挑战，表现为对气候干扰高度敏感、资金有限、获取农业投入和设备（机械、种子和化肥）以及应对虫害方面存在差距。气候变异性的影响表现为作物产量低、收成差、粮食不安全和收入损失。最常用的应对策略是改变种植和收获日期，其次是减少食物摄入量、寻找工作和轮作。尽管主要的支持来源是家庭和政府，但由于缺乏生计资产和识字水平较低，大多数女性农民并未采用基于现代科学且投入密集型的农业应对策略，如使用灌溉系统。
