A small-scale farmer in the Chiloé Archipelago harvesting potatoes. Potatoes originated in Perú and the Chiloé Archipelago, and they are a core part of Chiloé’s culture. The farmer has given permission for this photo to be shared.
Photo by José Tomás Ibarra.

By Julián Caviedes, André Braga Junqueira, Laura Calvet-Mir, Camilo Oyarzo, Santiago Kaulen, Santiago Álvarez-Fernández, Carla Marchant Santiago, and José Tomás Ibarra.

Read the full paper here.

Small-scale farmers produce about one-third of the world’s food. They do this despite many challenges like climate change, land-use changes, population growth, and new diseases. These challenges are especially tough for them since their livelihoods depend directly on nature and the environment. We wanted to understand more about how these small-scale farmers stay resilient in the face of these challenges.

Our study looked at small-scale farmers in the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile, which is known for its agricultural heritage and beautiful natural landscapes. We aim to understand what helps farmers in this region build resilience. By surveying 100 farmers and using aerial photos of their farms, we examined the factors that influence their ability to cope with changes. We found that farms with diverse farming systems (like different crops and animals) were more resilient, while farms managed by older farmers and farms with more shrublands showed lower resilience. These findings suggest that promoting diverse farming practices can help farmers better cope with current and future challenges. This is important because strengthening resilience at the local level is key to ensuring food security, both globally and locally.

Based on these results, we recommend four actions to help support small-scale farmers:

1. Promote farm diversity: Policies should encourage farmers to grow a variety of crops and raise different animals. Specializing in just one crop or type of farming can make farms more vulnerable to changes.

2. Support young farmers: Older farmers tend to have more difficulties working the land and hence show lower resilience, so it is important to encourage younger generations to stay in rural areas and continue farming. This will help ensure a sustainable future for small-scale farming.

3. Control shrublands: Shrublands, especially those with invasive plants, can reduce farm resilience. Efforts to manage and reduce these areas can help improve farming capacity.

4. Involve farmers in decision-making: Farmers have a deep understanding of their environment, so it’s essential to include them in creating policies regarding their livelihoods. A bottom-up approach that values their input is critical.

These recommendations can help strengthen small-scale farming and address the global food challenges we face.