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You can find the transcript through this link.

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Are you interested in making our food chain more resilient?

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Our debate today works with the article titled Does crop diversification lead to climate-related resilience? Improving the theory through insights on practice from 2022, by Ronnie Vernooy, published in the Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems journal.

This is a great preparation to our next interview with Kamogelo Thumankwe in episode 454 talking about resilience in urban food supply chains.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the impact of crop diversification on agricultural stability and its potential to build climate resilience. This article argues that while integrating diverse crops is vital for climate adaptation, it must be supported by stronger social institutions and policies to facilitate a global food transition.

Find the article through this link.

Abstract: In recent years, CGIAR researchers have investigated the effectiveness of using agrobiodiversity, and more particularly crop and crop varietal diversity, as an adaptive practice to mitigate climate-change impacts on agriculture and to contribute to rural household and community resilience. The hypothesis informing this research is that the sustained practice of crop diversification leads to ecological redundancy, which allows farmer households and their communities to produce multiple positive livelihood benefits. The validity of this hypothesis is investigated by means of an extensive literature review (covering 2015–2020). Findings reveal ample evidence of positive outcomes, including increased yields and household incomes, improved nutrition and food security, new marketing opportunities, reduced poverty, and strengthened adaptive and innovative capacity. However, the evidence is far less convincing about the last part of the hypothetical impact pathway, i.e. the link between positive livelihood benefits and (increased) resilience. This shortcoming is addressed through the elaboration of a more clearly articulated theory of change for crop diversification and a refined methodology to support farmers in making appropriate diversification decisions. At the same time, the critical review opens a window on an important, novel perspective, which is to look at the role that crop diversification could play in a wider societal transition toward a more sustainable future.

Connected episodes you might be interested in:

• No.222 – Interview with Adam Dorr about emerging technologies for urban food production
• No.299R – Validating the City Region Food System Approach: Enacting Inclusive, Transformational City Region Food Systems
• No.300 – Panel conversation about urban food production

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