Interconnected Systems for Resilience in Smallholder Agriculture: Climate-Smart and Vulnerably Smart Approaches
Interconnected Systems for Resilience in Smallholder Agriculture: Climate-Smart and Vulnerably Smart Approaches

Author(s): Hristina Harizanova-Bartos
Subject(s): Economy, Business Economy / Management, Agriculture, Energy and Environmental Studies
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: resilience; smart agriculture; small farms; digitalization
Summary/Abstract: The fast transition of agricultural systems in response to climate change, market instability, and resource depletion has resulted in new paradigms such as Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) and the more recently mentioned Vulnerably Smart Agriculture (VSA). The idea of "smart agriculture" is increasingly used to describe a collection of technologies meant to improve agricultural performance, including sensor networks, autonomous machinery, AI-powered decision systems, and precise input management. However, smallholders' capacity to embrace such techniques is still unknown due to structural constraints such as low capital, low educational levels, a lack of infrastructure, and institutional neglect. These barriers are especially significant in areas sensitive to weather extremes and characterized with small scale farming, such as Bulgaria's Pazardzhik district, where this study was conducted. The publication's aim is to use factor analysis transformed into a cluster analysis. The findings are based on empirical data ot the current state of the digitalization level of the small farms in the Pazardzhik and the level of transition to smart agriculture. Examintion of their ability to adapt Vulnerably Smart Agriculture (VSA) and Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) are presented. This article analyzes the main challenges faced by small farms in their transition to smart agriculture, drawing on actual field research done among 30 smallholder farms with an annual production of less than €9000. The empirical data shed light on the distinct weaknesses and technological constraints of small producers, demonstrating how smart agriculture may help to be tailored – not only technologically, but also socially and economically – to their respective environments. The incorporation of CSA and VSA into these systems provides a new theoretical and practical paradigm for developing resilience at the micro level. This includes not just lowering emissions and improving yields, but also promoting livelihood diversification, off-farm revenue creation, and locally specific adaption techniques. As global climate threats increase, understanding the circumstances under which smallholders might move to more resilient systems becomes crucial to long-term food security. This article was financially supported by thе UNWE Research Programme (Research Grant No. NID NI-5/2024/А).

• Details
• Contents