AGRICULTURAL ADAPTATION TO MULTIPLE STRESSORS IN A CLIMATE CHANGE CONTEXT: A case study in south-eastern Senegal

Abstract

The Bassari country in south-eastern Senegal is undergoing rapid and severe environmental and socio-economic changes steering modifications in the local agricultural system. Drawing on participant observation and 47 semi-structured interviews, this chapter assesses how Bassari farmers experience and respond to multiple environmental, socio-economic, and cultural stressors, including changes in precipitation, increasing crop mortality, pressure on land, integration into market economy, and cultural weakening. Common responses include switching crop species and varieties, shifting plot locations, and increasing the reliance of agriculture on external inputs. The sustainability analysis of those agricultural management changes showed different environmental, social, and economic trade-offs that can limit long-term adaptation options. Differences across gender and wealth regarding who bears most of the costs and who benefits the most were also found, with women and poor households belonging to the most disadvantaged groups. These findings highlight the need to place adaptive strategies in a broad context that, beyond climate change, considers multiple stressors, power dynamics, and farmers’ needs and priorities to achieve long-term adaptation.