Climate change adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in the Brazilian Sertão

This policy brief examines climate vulnerability and adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in the Bacia do Jacuípe region of the Brazilian Sertão. It highlights the impact of rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall on milk productivity and evaluates the effectiveness of pilot projects implemented by the Adapta Sertão coalition to improve adaptive capacity through improved animal diets and irrigation.

• In the Bacia do Jacuípe, a poor region within the Sertão of Bahía state, average temperatures have risen by approximately 2 °C and rainfall has decreased by approximately 350 mm since 1962. During this period, average milk productivity in this specific area declined, contrasting with dramatic increases in milk productivity across Bahía and Brazil as a whole.
• The Adapta Sertão coalition tested 16 different arrangements with small farmers over two years to determine their potential for food security and adaptation. The results indicate that interventions focusing on efficient irrigation systems and balanced animal diets can reduce, though not entirely remove, the dependence of production systems on the climate.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2014). Climate change adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in the Brazilian Sertão. https://cdkn.org/resource/climate-change-adaptation-strategies-for-smallholder-farmers-brazil-sertao

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Climate change adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in the Brazilian Sertão. 2014. https://cdkn.org/resource/climate-change-adaptation-strategies-for-smallholder-farmers-brazil-sertao.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Climate change adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in the Brazilian Sertão |date=30 July 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/climate-change-adaptation-strategies-for-smallholder-farmers-brazil-sertao |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2014climate, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Climate change adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in the Brazilian Sertão}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = jul, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/climate-change-adaptation-strategies-for-smallholder-farmers-brazil-sertao}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }