Die Ernährungssicherung der Bevölkerung im ländlichen Raum in Sub-Sahara Afrika ist eine der dringlichsten Herausforderungen unserer Zeit. Der Großteil der Bevölkerung ist von der eigenen landwirtschaftlichen Produktion für die Ernährung und die Existenzsicherung abhängig. Eine nachhaltige Entwicklung kleinbäuerlicher Landwirtschaft ist daher eine Grundvoraussetzung für Ernährungssicherung und Armutsbekämpfung. Eine Vielzahl von Entwicklungsmaßnahmen zielt auf die Verbesserung der Agrarproduktion von Kleinbauern und Kleinbäuerinnen ab, um die Ernährungssituation zu verbessern. Die Konsequenzen dieser Entwicklungsmaßnahmen sind oft vielfältig; neben gewollten, intendierten Wirkungen, können sich Entwicklungsmaßnahmen auch negativ auswirken. Daher ist es essentiell ein ex-ante impact assessment vor der Umsetzung durchzuführen, um eventuelle negative Auswirkungen frühzeitig zu identifizieren und die geplanten Maßnahmen dementsprechend anzupassen. Der theoretische Diskurs hinsichtlich der Charakteristika von ex-ante sustainability impact assessment ist sehr umfassend erarbeitet. Hier werden vor allem die gleichwertige Integration der drei Nachhaltigkeitsdimensionen (Soziales, Wirtschaft und Ökologie), die aktive Partizipation verschiedener Stakeholder auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen und der Austausch- und Lernprozess in den Mittelpunkt gerückt. In der Praxis wird die lokale Bevölkerung hingegen selten in ex-ante Wirkungsanalysen von geplanten Entwicklungsmaßnahmen involviert. Auch wenn in sustainability impact assessment ein interaktiver Einbezug der lokalen Bevölkerung unterstrichen wird, existieren kaum einfach anwendbare methodische Vorgehensweisen, um dies durchzuführen. Zudem gibt es bisher nur wenige Fallstudien, die das Einbeziehen von lokalen Stakeholdern beschreiben, systematisch analysieren und den Mehrwert für die Planung von landwirtschaftlichen Entwicklungsmaßnahmen herausstellen. Die vorliegende Arbeit hat zum Ziel diese Forschungslücke zu schließen. Im Rahmen der Dissertation wurde ein methodischer Ansatz für ein ex-ante sustainability impact assessment für die Anwendung mit der lokalen Bevölkerung entwickelt. Diese Methode wurde angewendet, um die positiven und negativen Auswirkungen von geplanten landwirtschaftlichen Entwicklungsmaßnahmen aus Sicht der Kleinbauern und Kleinbäuerinnen zu analysieren. Die Forschung wurde in vier Dörfern im semi-ariden Dodoma und im semi-humiden Morogoro in Tansania durchgeführt. / Food security remains a major challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainable agricultural development is fundamental for food security and poverty alleviation, notably in developing countries. Many development initiatives focus on enhancing smallholder production because the majority of poor people in developing countries live in rural areas where agriculture is the main source of livelihood. However, the consequences of these development initiatives are often diverse, having intended effects as well as unforeseen adverse impacts. Therefore, there is a need to assess development strategies/projects prior to their implementation to reduce the risk of possible negative impacts and to allow for adjustments, if necessary. This can be achieved by applying ex-ante sustainability impact assessment. The theoretical discourse on ex-ante sustainability impact assessment is comprehensive, emphasising the equal integration of all three sustainability dimensions (social, economic and environmental), the active involvement of stakeholders at every step of the assessment process and a focus on exchange and learning among the involved stakeholders. In practice, local communities are rarely involved in ex-ante impact assessment. Moreover, despite a strong emphasis on their involvement in theory, there remains a lack of easily applicable frameworks for sustainability impact assessment. Hence, there are only few concrete case studies having analysed the value added by applying sustainability impact assessment with local stakeholders and its benefit for planning agricultural measures to enhance food security and sustainable development. This PhD thesis closes the gap by developing and applying an ex-ante impact assessment approach that is based upon the Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment (FoPIA) method and is applicable at small-scale farmer level in the development context. The framework was applied to assess the sustainability of upgrading strategies along the farmers’ food value chains to improve food security in rural Tanzania at four contrasting case study villages in the semi-arid Dodoma Region and the semi-humid Morogoro Region.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T19:24:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Hernandez Hernandez.pdf: 3158706 bytes, checksum: 62d0c80e1a396806112462820f82a55a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-01 / Water use, both to supply the population, as for food production, in increasing numbers, forces countries like Brazil to adopt strict regulations regarding the use of water, which soon will be in effect throughout the Brazilian territory. The drip irrigation systems have increased employment in the face of the above. This thesis aimed to adapt the methodology of statistical process control, widely used in the industry since 1924, to the evaluation process of irrigation and drip fertirrigation, marketed as "drip irrigation kit for household farming". The research was developed at the Experimental Center of Agricultural Engineering - NEEA, State University of West of Paraná - UNIOESTE, in Cascavel, Paraná State, Brazil. Two different systems were settled: an irrigation one and a fertirrigation other, each system was subjected to four treatments (T) according to the variation of hydraulic head (H) applied by gravity, for which we used plastic stents with the capacity of to 200 L, reused from the property. The treatments and their heads identification were as follows: for the irrigation system treatment 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; treatment 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; treatment 3 (T3), 16 kPa; treatment 4 ( T4), H = 18kPa; for fertirrigation H = 12 kPa T5, T6 H = 14 kPa, 16 kPa H = T7, T8 = 18kPa. In each treatment were carried out 25 tests on irrigation and 27 ones on fertirrigation, each test was composed of three repetitions, in each repetition the collected volumes of water or fertilizer solution of 40 emitters, 10 seconds on each side line according of the Keller & Karmella Deniculi's methodologies and over a period of four minutes. It was also measured the pressure in the second input (Pinício) and in the fifth lateral line (Pfinal). With these data, flow rates were computed, as well as the Distribution Uniformity (DU), total coefficients of variation (CVt), mean pressure; analyses of descriptive statistics were performed, charts to evaluate the hydraulic performance were elaborated, as well as control charts or Shewhart control charts for DU and CVt. It were applied the ratio of process capability (Cp) and the centrality of process (Cpk) for assessment of uniformity. The statistical analysis, hydraulics, uniformity and statistical process control checked and confirmed that all irrigation tested meets the specifications provided by the manufacturer. The methodology is the beginning of further research for other types of emitters, material manufacturing, culture, and diversity of relief. / A pauta mundial, desde 1990, é a seguridade alimentar, podendo ser afetada em grande maneira pelas mudanças climáticas devido às políticas de desenvolvimento sem os cuidados necessários para evitar efeitos nocivos ao meio ambiente. O uso da água, tanto para abastecimento populacional como para a produção de alimentos, em quantidade cada vez maior, obriga países como o Brasil a adotar regulamentações rígidas quanto ao uso da água, que em breve estarão em vigor em todo o território brasileiro. Os sistemas de irrigação por gotejamento têm emprego crescente, diante das situações acima mencionadas. Esta tese teve por objetivo adaptar a metodologia do controle estatístico de processos, muito utilizado na indústria desde 1924, ao processo de avaliação dos sistemas de irrigação e de fertirrigação por gotejamento, comercializado como ―Kit de irrigação por gotejamento para agricultura familiar‖. A pesquisa desenvolveu-se nas dependências do Núcleo Experimental de Engenharia Agrícola NEEA, da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná UNIOESTE, no Município de Cascavel, Paraná, Brasil. Instalaram-se 2 sistemas um de irrigação e outro de fertirrigação, cada sistema submeteu-se a 4 tratamentos (T) em função da variação da carga hidráulica (H) aplicada por gravidade, para o qual utilizaram-se contenedores de plástico com capacidade de 200 L, reaproveitados da propriedade. Os tratamentos e respectivas cargas identificaram-se da seguinte forma: para o sistema de irrigação, tratamento 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 3 (T3), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 4 (T4) = 18kPa; para o de fertirrigação, tratamento 5 (T5), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 6 (T6), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 7 (T7), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 8 (T8), H = 18kPa. Em cada tratamento realizaram-se 25 ensaios na irrigação e 27 na fertirrigação, cada ensaio compôs-se de 3 repetições. Em cada repetição coletaram os volumes de água ou de solução do fertilizante de 40 emissores, 10 em cada linha lateral segundo as metodologias de Keller & Karmelli e Deniculi, num período de 4 minutos. Mensuraram-se também as pressões de entrada na segunda (Pinício) e na penúltima linha lateral (Pfinal). Com estes dados calcularam-se as vazões, os Coeficientes de Uniformidade (CUD), Coeficientes de Variação Total (CVt), pressões médias; realizaram-se análises de estatística descritiva; confeccionaram-se gráficos para avaliação do desempenho hidráulico, gráficos de controle ou cartas de Shewhart para CUD e CVt. Empregou-se a razão de capacidade de processo (Cp) e o de centralidade de processo (Cpk) para avaliação das uniformidades. As análises estatística, hidráulica, de uniformidade e de controle estatístico de processo verificaram e confirmaram que o conjunto de irrigação ensaiado atende às especificações fornecidas pelo fabricante. A metodologia desenvolvida é o início do desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas para outros tipos de emissores, de materiais de fabricação, de culturas e diversidade de relevo.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:48:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Hernandez Hernandez.pdf: 3158706 bytes, checksum: 62d0c80e1a396806112462820f82a55a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-01 / Water use, both to supply the population, as for food production, in increasing numbers, forces countries like Brazil to adopt strict regulations regarding the use of water, which soon will be in effect throughout the Brazilian territory. The drip irrigation systems have increased employment in the face of the above. This thesis aimed to adapt the methodology of statistical process control, widely used in the industry since 1924, to the evaluation process of irrigation and drip fertirrigation, marketed as "drip irrigation kit for household farming". The research was developed at the Experimental Center of Agricultural Engineering - NEEA, State University of West of Paraná - UNIOESTE, in Cascavel, Paraná State, Brazil. Two different systems were settled: an irrigation one and a fertirrigation other, each system was subjected to four treatments (T) according to the variation of hydraulic head (H) applied by gravity, for which we used plastic stents with the capacity of to 200 L, reused from the property. The treatments and their heads identification were as follows: for the irrigation system treatment 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; treatment 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; treatment 3 (T3), 16 kPa; treatment 4 ( T4), H = 18kPa; for fertirrigation H = 12 kPa T5, T6 H = 14 kPa, 16 kPa H = T7, T8 = 18kPa. In each treatment were carried out 25 tests on irrigation and 27 ones on fertirrigation, each test was composed of three repetitions, in each repetition the collected volumes of water or fertilizer solution of 40 emitters, 10 seconds on each side line according of the Keller & Karmella Deniculi's methodologies and over a period of four minutes. It was also measured the pressure in the second input (Pinício) and in the fifth lateral line (Pfinal). With these data, flow rates were computed, as well as the Distribution Uniformity (DU), total coefficients of variation (CVt), mean pressure; analyses of descriptive statistics were performed, charts to evaluate the hydraulic performance were elaborated, as well as control charts or Shewhart control charts for DU and CVt. It were applied the ratio of process capability (Cp) and the centrality of process (Cpk) for assessment of uniformity. The statistical analysis, hydraulics, uniformity and statistical process control checked and confirmed that all irrigation tested meets the specifications provided by the manufacturer. The methodology is the beginning of further research for other types of emitters, material manufacturing, culture, and diversity of relief. / A pauta mundial, desde 1990, é a seguridade alimentar, podendo ser afetada em grande maneira pelas mudanças climáticas devido às políticas de desenvolvimento sem os cuidados necessários para evitar efeitos nocivos ao meio ambiente. O uso da água, tanto para abastecimento populacional como para a produção de alimentos, em quantidade cada vez maior, obriga países como o Brasil a adotar regulamentações rígidas quanto ao uso da água, que em breve estarão em vigor em todo o território brasileiro. Os sistemas de irrigação por gotejamento têm emprego crescente, diante das situações acima mencionadas. Esta tese teve por objetivo adaptar a metodologia do controle estatístico de processos, muito utilizado na indústria desde 1924, ao processo de avaliação dos sistemas de irrigação e de fertirrigação por gotejamento, comercializado como ―Kit de irrigação por gotejamento para agricultura familiar‖. A pesquisa desenvolveu-se nas dependências do Núcleo Experimental de Engenharia Agrícola NEEA, da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná UNIOESTE, no Município de Cascavel, Paraná, Brasil. Instalaram-se 2 sistemas um de irrigação e outro de fertirrigação, cada sistema submeteu-se a 4 tratamentos (T) em função da variação da carga hidráulica (H) aplicada por gravidade, para o qual utilizaram-se contenedores de plástico com capacidade de 200 L, reaproveitados da propriedade. Os tratamentos e respectivas cargas identificaram-se da seguinte forma: para o sistema de irrigação, tratamento 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 3 (T3), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 4 (T4) = 18kPa; para o de fertirrigação, tratamento 5 (T5), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 6 (T6), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 7 (T7), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 8 (T8), H = 18kPa. Em cada tratamento realizaram-se 25 ensaios na irrigação e 27 na fertirrigação, cada ensaio compôs-se de 3 repetições. Em cada repetição coletaram os volumes de água ou de solução do fertilizante de 40 emissores, 10 em cada linha lateral segundo as metodologias de Keller & Karmelli e Deniculi, num período de 4 minutos. Mensuraram-se também as pressões de entrada na segunda (Pinício) e na penúltima linha lateral (Pfinal). Com estes dados calcularam-se as vazões, os Coeficientes de Uniformidade (CUD), Coeficientes de Variação Total (CVt), pressões médias; realizaram-se análises de estatística descritiva; confeccionaram-se gráficos para avaliação do desempenho hidráulico, gráficos de controle ou cartas de Shewhart para CUD e CVt. Empregou-se a razão de capacidade de processo (Cp) e o de centralidade de processo (Cpk) para avaliação das uniformidades. As análises estatística, hidráulica, de uniformidade e de controle estatístico de processo verificaram e confirmaram que o conjunto de irrigação ensaiado atende às especificações fornecidas pelo fabricante. A metodologia desenvolvida é o início do desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas para outros tipos de emissores, de materiais de fabricação, de culturas e diversidade de relevo.

This thesis presents the findings of an investigation of the spatial and temporal distribution of soil macrofauna at multiple scales within smallholder agriforestry fields in a remote, mountainous area of western Honduras. Since 1990, smallholder farmers in the study area have switched from traditional slash-and-burn agriculture to a form of slash-and-mulch agriforestry based on cultivating maize, beans and sorghum amongst dispersed trees. The principal objective was to examine the influence of the slash-and-mulch agricultural system on soil macrofauna abundance, biomass and community composition, and relate soil macrofauna distribution patterns to environmental variables. The initial stage of the research comprised transect-based sampling of soil macrofauna and biophysical variables in four common land uses of the study area. All four land uses (secondary forest, young milpa (agriforestry), mature milpa, and pasture) supported abundant, diverse and heterogeneous soil macrofauna communities, with few notable differences in soil macrofauna distribution among land uses. The most abundant soil macrofauna taxa were termites, ants, earthworms and beetles. Of the 'explanatory' environmental variables that were measured (including land use and selected soil properties, vegetation characteristics and topographic variables), those that had the strongest relationships with soil macrofauna abundance were land use, tree density and soil organic matter content. The second stage of the research was spatially-orientated and used stratified sampling based on within-field differences in farmer-defined soil type, as well as grid-based sampling of soil macrofauna surface activity. There was substantial within-field variation in soil type and topography, which was related to distribution patterns of at least one agriculturally-important soil macrofauna taxon. Earthworm activity was higher in areas of fertile soil and lower slope positions. At a finer scale, there was a positive spatial correlation between tree distribution and earthworm casting activity. The final phase situated the biophysical research in the local socio-economic context through participant observation and interviews with farmers. The results of the three phases of the study were incorporated into an original conceptual model of the relationships among soil macrofauna and environmental variables in the study area across multiple spatial scales and along a chronosequence of land use changes. Specific pointers are provided for further research on the role of soil fauna in influencing soil structure, nutrient cycling and pest species abundance, and for further investigating local knowledge and the socio-economic and cultural drivers of land use change.

Submitted by Camille Alienor Rebecca Chouan (camille.chouan@gmail.com) on 2013-12-26T18:28:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MasterThesis MPGI 2013_Camille Chouan.pdf: 2070374 bytes, checksum: 32f42327d40884fd86be03a1ae2c4ee1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luana Rodrigues (luana.rodrigues@fgv.br) on 2013-12-26T19:16:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MasterThesis MPGI 2013_Camille Chouan.pdf: 2070374 bytes, checksum: 32f42327d40884fd86be03a1ae2c4ee1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-12-26T19:57:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MasterThesis MPGI 2013_Camille Chouan.pdf: 2070374 bytes, checksum: 32f42327d40884fd86be03a1ae2c4ee1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-11-26 / This research analyzes the role of relational aspects such as trust, commitment, power usage and interdependence in the framework of inclusive business strategies that engage agribusiness MNCs and smallholder farmers in food supply chains in Brazil. Inclusive business strategies that seek direct sourcing from smallholders in emerging countries have been acknowledged as a promising market-based approach to create social impact and improve the livelihoods of rural producers at the 'base of the pyramid', all the while enabling companies to strengthen their position in local markets and source quality raw materials at lower costs. Studies on this topic widely focus on the competitive and commercial advantages that food companies derive from directly sourcing from smallholder suppliers, presenting value chain models that can be tailored to fit their global business strategy, however there remains little theoretically-grounded knowledge on the inter-organizational and relational challenges of these buyer-supplier relationships. Moreover, little attention has been paid to how asymmetries between MNCs and smallholder suppliers in terms of power, dependence and value-orientation can affect the evolution of these relationships. The objective of the study was thus to describe the factors that enable these asymmetrical partners to build long-term and mutually beneficial business relationships. A grounded theory methodology was used, which was particularly appropriate to examine relationships and collect experiences from the field through interviews of both company executives and field staff and smallholders in three key sectors dominated by family agriculture in Brazil, namely dairy, poultry/swine husbandry and horticultural production. Key theoretical concepts from the field of Relationship Marketing were used to back the results from the field research. The main finding of this research is the importance of going beyond trust-building in the relationship management strategy and designing dyadic partnerships based on mutual interdependence in order to reduce asymmetries and enhance commitment between the MNC and the smallholder. / Esta pesquisa analisa o papel dos aspectos relacionais tais como confiança, comprometimento, interdependência e uso de poder âmbito das estratégias de negócios inclusivos que envolvem pequenos agricultores nas cadeias de valor de multinacionais dos agronegócios no Brasil. Os negócios inclusivos de abastecimento direto por empresas com pequenos agricultores em países em desenvolvimento têm sido reconhecidos como uma abordagem economicamente viavél e promissora para criar impacto social e melhorar as condições de vida de produtores rurais da 'base da pirâmide', ao mesmo tempo permitindo que as empresas reforçar as suas posições nos mercados locais e adquirir matérias primas de qualidade a custos mais baixos. Estudos sobre este tema focam amplamente sobre as vantagens comerciais e competitivas que as empresas derivam do abastecimento direito com pequenos fornecedores, apresentando modelos de cadeia de valor customizados e ajustados estratégias globais de negócios, no entanto ainda há pouco conhecimento teoricamente fundamentado sobre os desafios organizacionais e relacionais da relação entre o comprador multinacional e o fornecedor de baixa renda. Além disso, pouco foco tem-se prestado sobre como assimetrias entre multinacionais e produtores de baixa renda, em questão de poder, dependência e de valores pode afetar a evolução dessas relações de negócios. O objetivo do estudo foi descrever os fatores que permitem a esses parceiros assimétricos de construir relacionamentos comerciais de longo prazo e mutuamente benéficos. A metodologia da teoria fundamentada foi usada e foi particularmente adequada para examinar as relações entre comprador e fornecedor e para recolher experiências de campo em três setores principais dominados pela agricultura familiar no Brasil, ou seja laticínios, avi-suinocultura e produção hortícola. Os principais conceitos teóricos da área de Relationship Marketing foram usados para apoiar os resultados da pesquisa de campo. A principal conclusão desta pesquisa é a importância de ir além da construção de confiança na estratégia de gestão do relacionamento entre comprador e fornecedor e de criar parcerias diádicas baseadas na interdependência mútua, a fim de reduzir as assimetrias e melhorar o comprometimento entre a empresa e o pequeno agricultor.

This thesis enters the context of smallholder agriculture communities in the developing world. It explores the potentials of biochar and what biochar systems could bring to the smallholder communities while simultaneously bringing environmental benefits. It then acknowledges the challenges of diffusion –the spreading of an unfamiliar innovation. It seeks to answer the question of what will make diffusion of biochar systems more successful in the smallholder context, fixating on the characteristic of compatibility as well as the role local community members can play in making a new biochar system more visible to the rest of the communities.

Tesis por compendio / [ES] La agricultura a pequeña escala en América Central, región donde se esperan fuertes cambios en las temperaturas y patrones de lluvias, sostiene el empleo y la seguridad alimentaria de las familias rurales. La adaptación al cambio climático es, por ende, altamente prioritaria. Esta investigación analiza la vulnerabilidad al cambio climático y la capacidad adaptativa de los medios de vida agrícolas a pequeña escala en la región en dos niveles. El primer análisis usa información pública de municipios de cuatro países, mientras el segundo se basa en procesos participativos en cinco microcuencas de la vertiente del Pacífico. Esta investigación incluye también una evaluación de productos de información agroclimática para gestionar los impactos del cambio climático en la producción agrícola y la seguridad alimentaria en Guatemala. El primer análisis muestra, en primer lugar, que los municipios que están en zonas de frontera agrícola o propensas a la sequía tienden a tener menor capacidad adaptativa, en contraste con la capacidad adaptativa más alta de los que están cerca a zonas urbanas y rutas de comercio. En segundo lugar, muestra que los grupos de municipios con menos satisfacción de necesidades básicas tendieron también a tener menor desempeño en los indicadores de acceso a la innovación y su puesta en práctica. Por último, muestra que los grupos de municipios que más incentivos agrícolas han recibido no tienen necesariamente una mayor capacidad adaptativa. Los resultados sugieren que los proyectos y programas de adaptación al cambio climático en la región deben considerarse un espectro de estrategias, y que la metodología propuesta puede apoyar el establecimiento de prioridades geográficas y la identificación de estas estrategias. El segundo análisis muestra diferencias fundamentales entre diferentes medios de vida agrícolas, en especial en su capacidad adaptativa. Los capitales humano y social mostraron amplias diferencias entre medios de vida que tienen acceso a la tierra y el agua, y los que dependen del arriendo de la tierra y de la venta de mano de obra. Aunque en todos los sitios hay algún nivel de incentivos y asistencia técnica, estas ayudas no necesariamente responden a las necesidades de adaptación de las familias agricultoras. Las medidas de adaptación implementadas y propuestas incluyen medidas incrementales y transformacionales, y existe conciencia en las familias agricultoras de la importancia de fortalecer los capitales no físicos para la viabilidad y sostenibilidad de las medidas de adaptación, y no solo el capital natural y construido. Estos resultados confirman que los programas de adaptación deben considerar un espectro amplio de estrategias y las necesidades a nivel local para una mejor inversión de recursos. La evaluación de productos de información agroclimática muestra progresos en la gestión de la variabilidad del clima en Guatemala, pero también que los productos destinados a apoyar decisiones para gestión de la agricultura y la seguridad alimentaria a nivel local requieren cambios en las prácticas institucionales de compartir y producir información más útil y oportuna. Esta tesis intenta poner en valor diferentes fuentes de información y conocimiento para la adaptación al cambio climático, en una región donde es frecuente que se atribuya la falta de decisiones oportunas y objetivas a su ausencia y baja calidad. Las propuestas metodológicas tratan de identificar opciones para el mejor uso de los recursos disponibles y esfuerzos para apoyar la adaptación de la agricultura a pequeña escala en América Central. / [CA] L'agricultura a petita escala a Amèrica Central, una regió on s'esperen canvis bruscos de les temperatures i dels patrons de pluges, sosté l'ocupació i la seguretat alimentària de les famílies rurals. L'adaptació al canvi climàtic és, per tant, altament prioritària. Aquesta investigació analitza la vulnerabilitat front al canvi climàtic i la capacitat adaptativa dels mitjans de vida agrícoles a petita escala de la regió en dos nivells. La primera anàlisi usa informació pública de municipis de quatre països, mentre que la segona es basa en processos participatius en cinc microconques del vessant del Pacífic. Així mateix, aquesta investigació inclou una avaluació de productes d'informació agroclimàtica per tal de gestionar els impactes del canvi climàtic sobre la producció agrícola i la seguretat alimentària a Guatemala. La primera anàlisi mostra, en primer lloc, que els municipis de les zones de frontera agrícola o propenses a la sequera tendeixen a tindre menor capacitat adaptativa, tot contrastant amb la capacitat adaptativa més elevada d'aquells municipis que són a prop de zones urbanes i de rutes comercials. En segon lloc, trobem que els grups de municipis amb menys satisfacció de necessitats bàsiques van tendir també a obtenir resultats inferiors en els indicadors d'accés a la innovació i la seua aplicació. Per últim, observem que els grups de municipis que han rebut més incentius agrícoles no tenen necessàriament una major capacitat adaptativa. Els resultats suggereixen que els projectes i els programes d'adaptació al canvi climàtic a la regió han de considerar tot un espectre d'estratègies, i que la metodologia proposada pot donar suport a l'establiment de prioritats geogràfiques i la identificació d'aquestes estratègies. La segona anàlisi mostra diferències fonamentals entre diferents mitjans de vida agrícoles, sobretot pel que fa a la seua capacitat adaptativa. Els capitals humà i social van mostrar àmplies diferències, d'una banda, entre els mitjans de vida que tenen accés a la terra i a l'aigua i, de l'altra, aquells que depenen de l'arrendament de la terra i de la venda de mà d'obra. Malgrat que a tot arreu existeix algun nivell d'incentius i assistència tècnica, aquestes ajudes no responen necessàriament a les necessitats d'adaptació de les famílies agrícoles. Les mesures d'adaptació implementades i proposades inclouen mesures incrementals i transformacionals, i les famílies agrícoles són conscients de la importància d'enfortir els capitals no físics de cara a la viabilitat i la sostenibilitat de les mesures d'adaptació, i no sols el capital natural i construït. Aquests resultats confirmen que els programes d'adaptació han de considerar un espectre ampli d'estratègies d'adaptació i les necessitats en l'àmbit local, per tal d'aconseguir una millor inversió dels recursos. L'avaluació de productes d'informació agroclimàtica mostra progressos en la gestió de la variabilitat del clima a Guatemala, però també que els productes destinats a donar suport a decisions per a la gestió de l'agricultura i la seguretat alimentària en l'àmbit local requereixen canvis en les pràctiques institucionals a l'hora de compartir i de transferir informació més útil i oportuna. Aquesta tesi intenta posar en valor diferents fonts d'informació i de coneixement que faciliten l'adaptació al canvi climàtic, en una regió on és freqüent que s'atribuïsca la falta de decisions oportunes i objectives a la seua absència o baixa qualitat de les mateixes. Les propostes tracten d'identificar opcions que permeten millorar l'ús dels recursos disponibles i dels esforços per tal de donar suport a l'adaptació de l'agricultura a petita escala a Amèrica Central. / [EN] Smallholder agriculture in Central America, a region where marked changes in temperature and rainfall patterns are expected, sustains employment and food security for rural households. Adaptation to climate change is therefore a high priority. This research analyses the vulnerability to climate change and the adaptive capacity of small-scale agricultural livelihoods in the region at two levels. The first analysis uses public information from municipalities in four countries, while the second is based on participatory processes in five micro-watersheds on the Pacific slope. This research also includes the evaluation of agro-climatic information products that are intended to support the management of the impacts of climate change on agricultural production and food security in Guatemala. The first analysis shows, first, that municipalities that are in agricultural frontier or drought-prone areas tend to have lower adaptive capacity, in contrast to those that are close to urban areas and trade routes. Secondly, it shows that groups of municipalities with less satisfaction of basic needs also tended to perform less well on indicators of access to and implementation of innovation. Finally, it shows that groups of municipalities that have received more state agricultural incentives do not necessarily have higher adaptive capacity. The results suggest that climate change adaptation programs and projects in the region should consider a spectrum of adaptation strategies, and that the proposed methodology could support the geographic prioritisation and identification of these strategies. The second analysis showed fundamental differences between different agricultural livelihoods, especially in their adaptive capacity. Human and social capitals showed wide differences between livelihoods that have access to land and water, and those that rely on renting land and selling labour. While there was some level of incentives and technical assistance in all sites, there were also differences in access to this support, which do not necessarily respond to the adaptation needs of farming families. The adaptation measures implemented and proposed include incremental and transformational measures, and there is awareness among farming families of the importance of strengthening non-physical capital for the viability and sustainability of adaptation measures, and not only natural and built capital. These results confirm that adaptation programmes should consider a broad spectrum of adaptation strategies and needs at the local level for better investment of resources. The evaluation of agroclimatic information products shows progress in managing climate variability in Guatemala, but also that products aimed at supporting decisions for agriculture and food security management at the local level require changes in institutional practices to share and produce more useful information. This thesis attempts to highlight different sources of information and knowledge for climate change adaptation in a region where the lack of timely and objective decisions is often attributed to their absence or low quality. The methodological proposals seek to identify options for the best use of available resources and efforts to support adaptation in smallholder agriculture in Central America. / Bouroncle Seoane, CM. (2023). Vulnerabilidad y capacidad adaptativa de la agricultura a pequeña escala en América Central: brechas actuales y elementos para la gestión de información de sequías y otros fenómenos del cambio y variabilidad climática [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/199547 / Compendio