Not wrapped up in cotton wool: How risk influences farming in southern Mali

Summary

Smallholder farmers in Koutiala, southern Mali, are challenged by a diversity of agricultural risks for both food production and income. In such environments, farmers are often struggling to be food self-sufficient or escape poverty. The aim of this thesis was to understand farmers’ strategies to cope within a variable and hazardous environment. A parallel objective was to analyse which sustainable intensification options could increase productivity and/or reduce risks within the socio-economic and biophysical context. Maintaining a diversity and flexibility of management strategies contributed to the adaptive capacity and resilience of farms to deal with hazards.