Research grant awarded to Dr Hamid Roodbari to assess how conservation agriculture supports smallholder woman farmers to adapt to climate change.
Dr. Hamid Roodbari has been awarded a research grant to explore how conservation agriculture can support smallholder women farmers to adapt to climate change. This collaborative project, involving the University of Kent, King's College London, and partners from Canada, Brazil, and Nigeria, is funded by the UKRI-ESRC (UK), NFRF (Canada), and FAPESP (Brazil) with a total budget of approximately $1.3 million.
Climate change presents significant risks to global communities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Nigeria and Brazil, where extreme weather events disrupt food systems and agricultural production. Smallholder women farmers in these regions are disproportionately affected due to their limited access to resources, making them particularly vulnerable. Conservation agriculture, a cost-effective and sustainable approach, has been recognized as a crucial strategy to build resilience against the adverse effects of climate change, helping these farmers adapt and thrive despite the challenges.
The project’s key objectives are:
- To understand conservation agriculture practices used by smallholder women farmers in Nigeria and Brazil, focusing on benefits, limitations, and needed resources.
- To empower smallholder women farmers by addressing socioeconomic vulnerabilities and physical challenges through training and pilot funding.
- To coproduce evidence-based policy recommendations to promote climate resilience and improve the socioeconomic status of smallholder women farmers.
The project commenced in April 2024 and will run for 36 months, aiming to produce actionable insights and policies that strengthen climate adaptation efforts for vulnerable farming communities.
Related sustainable development goals
