Gendered adaptation of Eritrean dryland farmers
International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management
ISSN: 1756-8692
Article publication date: 20 March 2017
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report findings of a study of vulnerability that identified adaptation strategies of male and female farmers in two regions of Eritrea. The country is suffering from food shortage because of climate and non-climate stressors. As such, erratic rainfall, chronic droughts and extreme weather adversely affect crop production. This paper answers the question of how policy instruments and cultural practices, and their interaction, increase or reduce the vulnerabilities of male and female agricultural producers, including producer perceptions of how instruments and culture can be improved.
Design/methodology/approach
Interviews and focus groups were conducted in the two study regions in Eritrea. Documents and transcripts of the interviews and focus groups were coded by theme and analyzed.
Findings
Findings revealed that the main rainy season has reduced from four to two months, and the minor rainy season has often failed. As a result, exposure and sensitivity to climate change affects all farmers. These climate change impacts together with Eritrean government policy instruments, including the limited availability, affordability and accessibility of agricultural inputs such as land, fertilizer, seeds, and male labor exacerbate the vulnerability of agricultural producers. Tigrinya farm women are the least able to adapt to extreme weather because of an unequal distribution of resources resulting from cultural, patriarchal views of women which have prevented them from being regarded as equal primary farmers and further limit their access to the resources mentioned. This vulnerability is exacerbated by the prescribed military service of men in their community (which is not prescribed in the matrilineal Kunama community). Producers perceive that addressing this gender inequality and improving government instruments, most importantly getting rid of mandatory military service, will improve adaptation.
Practical implications
Concrete recommendations made by the community are reported.
Originality/value
This paper presents important findings from qualitative research conducted in Eritrea.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The field research in Eritrea was carried out for seven months with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada. Information on the Centre is available on the web at www.idrc.ca.
Citation
Tesfamariam, Y. and Hurlbert, M. (2017), "Gendered adaptation of Eritrean dryland farmers", International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 207-224. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-07-2016-0096
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited