Impacts of climate change on crop production practices among small holder farmers in Guruve district, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This research was carried out in Guruve district with the aim of documenting local people’s experiences and perceptions towards climate change impacts on crop production and their responses. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used in an attempt to analyze the impact of climate change on crop production practices and the strategies that people invent to ensure improved crop productivity. The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, Structure-Agency and the Actor-oriented perspective (AOP) were the chief analytical tools employed to explore the phenomenon under study. Primary data was collected from small scale crop producers using semi-structured questionnaires with farmers, interviews with farmers and key informants as well as observations. Published and unpublished data were also consulted. The study revealed that climate change affects crop productivity due to insufficient rains and sometimes too much rain which results in various crop diseases and failure in Guruve. The farmers have however not been passive victims as they have adapted in several ways mainly through conservation farming thereby managing to sustain their livelihoods. The study concludes that the wealth of knowledge on coping and adaptation that farmers have should form the foundation for designing crop production innovation systems to deal with impacts of climate change on crop production practices.