Call for papers, volume 4, number 1 – 2027 : « Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change and Food Insecurity »

Coordination

Issue coordinated by AZIAMIN ASONGU Norah-AWUNGJIA and NZINO MUNONGO Victorine Ghislaine

Concept Note

Climate change is now widely recognised as a systemic threat to global food systems, with disproportionate impacts in low- and middle-income countries where agriculture remains climate‑sensitive and rainfed. Recent studies show that rising temperatures, shifting rainfall regimes, and more frequent extreme events are undermining all four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability (Mirzabaev et al., 2023). The need for countries to be able to feed their population and face climate change are two of the greatest challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals. Very few countries in the developing world have experienced rapid economic growth without agricultural growth either preceding or accompanying it (Anderson and Lorch, 2001).

Food security is being undermined by a number of challenges such as climate change, serious degradation of agricultural soil, erosion of genetic base of agricultural biodiversity, water scarcity, poor governance and others (Witt and Waibel, 2009). Distortions in weather parameters due to climate change have had serious consequences over the last decade on farming activities. According to Abia et al, (2017), environmental degradation intensely affects nutrition every year and some 5 to 7 million hectares of agricultural land are lost. In Arid and Semi-Arid regions of Cameroon, desertification threatens 27 million hectares of irrigated land, 170 million hectares of rain fed crop land and 3000 million hectares of rangeland. Rainfall patterns on which local agricultural practices rely are inconsistent; resulting in crop failure, post-harvest losses, food insufficiency and diseases (Sigha and Mafany, 2008). According to the SDG 2, solutions to increase food production and reduce food insecurity are urgent but must be carried out in a sustainable manner. Today’s food systems must feed 7.8 billion people without compromising future productivity or the health of our planet. Even as we respond to immediate needs, we must work to transform food systems so that they can become more resilient and achieve lasting food and nutrient security (Chaudhary et al., 2025). Transformed, food system can become a cornerstone of green, resilient, and inclusive development, advancing the health of people, economies, and the planet.

In most developing nations, farmers are central to agricultural production and therefore the foundation for household food security. With the increasing uncertainty in climate and weather projections, the effect of climate change over global food security is feared to be devastating on highly vulnerable regions (Washington & Downing 1999, Dilley 2000). Small-scale or rural farmers are disproportionately among the poor and hungry. They are also the best hope for increasing land productivity and crop diversity to feed a growing world. These farmers work very hard to meet up with the food market demands and their family food demands.

Over the past few years’ farmers have been experiencing changes in some weather parameters (temperature, humidity, precipitation, solar radiation) which affects their productivity. The un-predictable nature of the rainy and dry seasons which determine the start and end of farming seasons have caused immeasurable loses to the rural farmers. Rains have either come earlier than expected and caused farm preparations to start late or have come too late and gone too early causing crops to be planted late and harvested prematurely. The dry seasons have been earlier and drier causing shortages in water availability for farms. Most of the farmers can hardly explain the causes of these changes. Some believe the changes are due to neglect of tradition, failing to perform usual traditional rites, thus lack of communication with their gods. The changes in weather parameters affecting these farmers is scientifically linked to our changing climate (Molua, 2008).

In many communities, resilience has been a natural, evolving process for absorbing shocks and adjusting to changes that impact people’s livelihoods (Pandey et al., 2003). Numerous case studies on impact of climate change on indigenous people have been documented. However, it is clear that because communities have different endowments and climate sensitivities, adaptation options should be tailored to specific communities.

Failure to solve the problems of perishability and seasonality of most food crops, poor marketing system, and inadequate processing technologies to preserve and conserve food products, constitute a great challenge to the farmers in their effort to attain and maintain food self-sufficiency (Bako Nabila et al., 2025). Consequently, it is necessary to reorient technological measures and projects geared towards promoting small scale farmers to stimulate the marketing system and sustain the food sector of the economy.

Policy efforts need to be regionally differentiated, given that climate risks and livelihood systems vary significantly across agro‑ecological zones (Evariste et al., 2018). Strengthening land and water governance, improving access to rural finance and markets, and enhancing the participation of farmers’ organisations in policy processes are pointed as key levers for more inclusive and effective adaptation (Iqbal et al., 2025).

In recent years, food production did not follow the rapid demographic increase; food security has to be assured by an increase in the production of food stuff and other crops which could substitute importations. To meet these needs, countries have adopted several strategic instruments to confront climate risks, including a climate change policy framework, a National Adaptation Plan and sectoral adaptation strategies for agriculture. These frameworks emphasize the promotion of climate‑smart agriculture (CSA), which seeks to simultaneously enhance productivity, strengthen resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions where possible. Recommended CSA options include agroforestry, conservation agriculture, improved soil and water management, drought‑tolerant and flood‑tolerant varieties, integrated nutrient management, and efficient irrigation technologies (Bako Nabila et al., 2025). In addition, a market information system (MIS) was also established to provide information on trends for various products at the national level but all these projects were never effective. Food insecurity, malnutrition and hunger are persistent and food security is permanently threatened by climate variability.

In this perspective, this scientific journal launches a call for interdisciplinary scientific contributions aimed at fostering critical reflection on farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change, with particular attention to food security, sustainable rural development, and territorial resilience.

This call also seeks to encourage dialogue among researchers, policy-makers, development practitioners, farmers’ organisations, jurists, environmentalists, economists, geographers, sociologists, anthropologists, and agricultural scientists on the ongoing transformations of agricultural and food systems.

Contributions may include theoretical analyses, empirical field studies, comparative perspectives, policy analyses, technological innovations, or local adaptation experiences across the various agroecological zones.

Proposed Thematic Areas

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

Theme 1: Climate Change and the Transformation of Agricultural Systems

• Impacts of climate variability on agricultural production;
• Vulnerability of rural farming systems;
• Environmental degradation and food insecurity;
• Socio-economic impacts of climate change on rural households.

Theme 2: Indigenous Knowledge, Community Resilience and Adaptation Strategies

• Local farming innovations and endogenous agricultural practices;
• Traditional knowledge and climate risk management;
• Community adaptation and territorial resilience;
• Gender, youth, and climate adaptation.

Theme 3: Sustainable Agriculture, Green Technologies and Agroecological Transition

• Sustainable agriculture and agroecology;
• Climate-smart agricultural technologies;
• Sustainable soil and water management;
• Green agricultural innovations and resilience.

Theme 4: Governance, Public Policies and Food Security

• Assessment of agricultural and climate policies;
• Environmental governance and rural development;
• Legal frameworks for food security;
• Public institutions and climate risk management.

Theme 5: Rural Infrastructure, Agricultural Markets and Digitalisation

• Storage, transportation and reduction of post-harvest losses;
• Access to climate information and agricultural markets;
• Agricultural digitalisation and technological inclusion;
• Early warning systems and territorial intelligence.

Theme 6: Interdisciplinary Approaches and Comparative Perspectives

• Comparative studies across agroecological zones;
• Anthropological, historical and sociological perspectives;
• Quantitative and qualitative approaches to food security;
• African and international experiences in agricultural adaptation.

Objectives of the Call

This call for papers aims to:

• contribute to scientific knowledge production on the impacts of climate change on agriculture;
• analyse adaptation strategies developed by rural farmers;
• promote interdisciplinary approaches to food security and rural resilience;
• valorise local innovations and sustainable agricultural practices;
• provide evidence-based recommendations for public policies on climate resilience and rural development.

Target Contributors

This call is open to:

• academics, researchers and university lecturers;
• doctoral and postdoctoral students;
• experts in agriculture, environment and climate studies;
• jurists, economists, sociologists, geographers and anthropologists;
• development practitioners and specialised organisations.

References

Abia, W.A., Warth, B., Ezekiel, C.N., Sarkanj, B., Turner, P.C., Marko, D., Krska, R. and Sulyok, M., 2017. Uncommon toxic microbial metabolite patterns in traditionally home-processed maize dish (fufu) consumed in rural Cameroon. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 107(Part A), 10-19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2017.06.011.

Bako Nabila, I., Sankale, J., & Wairiuko, J. W. (2025). Assessing the effectiveness of climate-smart agriculture practices in improving food security in the Far North Region, Cameroon. CUEA Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(1).

Chaudhary, A., Babu, S., & Srivastava, N. (2025). Integrating agriculture policies with climate change strategies and commitments in Nepal. International Food Policy Research Institute. https://cgspace.cgiar.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a644102d-1e3e-48d0-ae5f-a759586fb7f8/content

Dilley, M., 2000. Reducing vulnerability to climate variability in Southern Africa: the growing role of climate information. Climatic Change, 45(1), 63-73.

Evariste, F. F., Sonwa, D. J., Victor, K., & Claudia, M. (2018). Assessing climate change vulnerability and local adaptation strategies in adjacent communities of the Kribi-Campo coastal ecosystems, South Cameroon. Urban Climate, 24, 1037-1051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2017.12.007

Iqbal, B., Alabbosh, K. F., Jalal, A., Suboktagin, S., & Elboughdiri, N. (2025). Sustainable food systems transformation in the face of climate change: Strategies, challenges, and policy implications. Food Science and Biotechnology, 34(4), 871-883. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-024-01712-y

Mirzabaev, A., et al. (2023). Severe climate change risks to food security and nutrition. Climate Risk Management, 39, 100473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2022.100473

Molua, E. L. (2008). Turning up the heat on African agriculture: The impact of climate change on Cameroon’s agriculture. African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2(1), 45-64. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.56967

Pandey, K., Pandey, P., Kalloo, G., Banerjee, M.K. and Singh, P.K., 2003. Resistance to early blight of tomato with respect to various parameters of disease epidemics. Journal of General Plant Pathology, 69(6), 364-371. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10327-003-0074-7.

Sigha, L.N. and Mafany, G.T., 2008. Vulnerability assessment of freshwater resources to climate change in Central Africa. Nairobi: UNEP.

UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2012. Concluding observations on the combined second and third periodic reports of Cameroon. UN Doc E/C.12/CMR/CO/2-3.

Witt, R. and Waibel, H., 2009. Climate Risk And Farming Systems In Rural Cameroon. Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-423. Hannover: Leibniz Universität Hannover.

Ziervogel, G., Bithell, M., Washington, R. and Downing, T., 2005. Agent-based social simulation: A method for assessing the impact of seasonal climate forecast applications among smallholder farmers. Agricultural Systems, 83(1), 1-26. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2004.02.009.

Submission procedures

The submission of proposals follows the general policy of the Grenier des Savoirs Journals. In the first stage, authors are required to submit an abstract for validation, using the official abstract submission form: https://www.revues.scienceafrique.org/formulaire/.

The abstract must clearly and concisely present the theme of your proposed contribution, its theoretical approach, its methodology, as well as its relevance to the call for papers, where applicable.

It is recommended to repeat the key concepts in the abstract to facilitate their identification by search engines. Each abstract submission must include the following metadata:

• A title and, if applicable, a subtitle.
• An abstract of 200 to 250 words, in French or English.
• 5 to 6 bibliographic references.
• 5 to 6 keywords, descriptive but general—those you would use to search for an article like yours.
• The first name(s), last name(s), and official affiliation of all authors, along with their email address(es).

If the full text of your article is already written, you must still submit only the abstract and wait for the decision of the editorial committee. Indeed, the recommendations regarding your abstract may help you improve your manuscript.

Abstracts must be submitted exclusively online at the following address: https://www.revues.scienceafrique.org/formulaire/.

The Grenier des Savoirs journals recommend a length of 15 pages for an article or a review paper, including the bibliography. For all formatting guidelines and bibliographic reference instructions, please refer to the following link: https://www.revues.scienceafrique.org/instruction/.

The journal publishes texts in English and French. A translation of the abstract into an African language is strongly recommended.

Before submitting the final manuscripts, authors are requested to download the style sheet  and strictly adhere to the formatting requirements available at the following address: https://www.revues.scienceafrique.org/ngabandibolel/politiques/instructions-aux-auteurs-et-aux-autrices/

Timeline

Launch date of the call: 05 July 2026

Deadline for abstract submission (online only): 30 october 2026

Notification to authors after proposal evaluation: 20 november 2026

Submission of full manuscripts: 27 february 2027

Publication date of the volume: 30 july 2027

Editorial Committee

• NZINO MUNONGO Victorine Ghislaine, Éditrice en chef, Ministère de la Recherche Scientifique et de l’Innovation (Cameroun);
• CHIMANYE MOTIO Aristide, Co-éditeur en chef, Université de Yaoundé II (Cameroun);
• NGUIDJOI Gabriel Cyrille, Ministère de la Recherche Scientifique et de l’Innovation (Cameroun);
• EMAH NGONO Line Murielle, Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale (Cameroun);
• BALINAN OBAKER Sam, Université de Yaoundé II, (Cameroun);
• BIENDA Gilbert, Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche en Droit International, (Cameroun);
• FOTSING Serges Roméo, Université de Ngaoundéré, (Cameroun);
• FRU ANWI Agnes Herdrick, Université de Yaoundé II (Cameroun);
• KABAYENE Marcelle, Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale, (Cameroun);
• MACCARD BADINGA CITALA Marcel, Université de Mbujimayi, (République Démocratique du Congo);
• NEH FRU Mary Immaculate, Ministère de la Recherche Scientifique et de l’Innovation (Cameroun);
• NGA NGONO Achille, Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale (Cameroun);
• NGA OLOA Linda Paule Carelle, Université de Dschang, (Cameroun).

Scientific Committee

• AKONO ONGBA SEDENA, Université de Bertoua, Cameroun;
• ALLADIN Judicael, Université de Montréal, Canada;
• AMOUGUI GALAOUA Pulchérie, Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale, Cameroun;
• ANIMBOM Paul, Université de Bamenda, Cameroun;
• ANUOLUWAPO Jolaoso, University of Lagos, Nigeria;
• BELPORO Christelle, Université de Montréal, Canada;
• BIGOMBE LOGO Patrice, GRAPS/Université de Yaoundé II, Centre de Recherche et d’Action pour le Développement Durable en Afrique centrale, Cameroun;
• EBENE Jean Louis, Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale, Cameroun;
• ESSAMA MEKONGO Pierrette, University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon;
• ESSIEN Eddy Bruno, Charles University, Czech Republic;
• GASSI MATAGO Estelle, Université de Yaoundé II, Cameroun;
• HAUMONT Francis, Université Catholique Louvain, Belgique;
• JILEFACK AMIN NGAMI, McGill University, Canada;
• KARBO Tony, University of Peace-Africa, Ethiopia;
• KENFACK Pierre Etienne, Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale, Cameroun;
• MACHIKOU NGAMENI Nadine, Université de Dschang, Cameroun;
• MC QUINN Mark, University of London, United Kingdom;
• MEHARI FISSEHA, University of Granada, Spain;
• MULAMBA Ingrid, Université de Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo;
• NGUESSELE Ornella ; Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale, Cameroun;
• NJIFON NJOYA Hassan, Université de Buea, Cameroun;
• OUMBA Parfait, Université Catholique d’Afrique Centrale, Cameroun;
• TAMASSANG Christopher FUNWE, Université de Yaoundé II, Cameroun;
• TOUSSE DJOU Josiane, Université de Yaoundé II, Cameroun.
• Norah Aziamin Asongu, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Cameroon;
• Ifeolu John David, University Texas at Tyler
• Ehode Raoul Elah, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Cameroon;
• Ngo Essounga Angeline Raymonde, , Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Cameroon;
• Afuh Isaiah Kunock, Université de Yaoundé I;
• Albert Jiotsa, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Cameroon.