The future of smallholder farming in developing countries in the face of climate change: a perspective with a focus on Pakistan

This research, led by Charles Sturt University Adjunct Professor Peter Wynn from the School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, focused on the impacts of climate change among smallholder farmers in Pakistan. This broad assessment of previous studies identified increasingly restricted access to fresh water for the irrigation of summer crops such as corn, millet, sorghum, and sugarcane, which are increasingly being adopted in place of rice and wheat due to temperature increases that limit yield from such crops and present a major concern.

The study also cited the need for selective breeding programs to increase the adaptation of cattle herds to better suit changing climatic conditions. Challenges already experienced by cattle farmers and anticipated to get worse include changes in the distribution of vector-borne diseases, heat-induced nutrient deficiencies, and reductions in reproductive health.

Second-order impacts predicted for smallholder farming communities in Pakistan caused by climate change include an increase in the role of women in managing farming activities as men are forced to start off-farm work to supplement family income and, ultimately, the mass migration of communities, with millions of people being displaced because of agricultural disruption, among other factors.