Diversified farming and agroecology: Assessing cacao and coffee smallholders’ food security, dietary diversity, and vulnerability to hurricanes and other hazards in Central America

Diversified farming is one of several agroecological strategies for reducing smallholders’ risk and building resilience to climate change and other hazards. Accumulating evidence shows that farmers can use agroecology to improve household food security and influence food system transformations. However, additional research is needed to identify which agroecological strategies are used by whom and the degree to which diversification, household characteristics, context, or other strategies contribute to farmer well-being. In 2022, we conducted a livelihood, agriculture, and food security survey with 429 smallholders sampled randomly from farmers affiliated with cooperatives selling coffee or cacao in northern Nicaragua. We focus on farmer strategies and practices associated with 9 key agroecology principles and their relation to food security, water security, and dietary diversity. Next, we integrated statistical analysis into our participatory mixed methods approach using partner feedback and 13 farmer interviews to inform and interpret regression models. Cacao farmers in the wetter growing zone reported more crop diversity, organic production, and less seasonal hunger than coffee growers. Food and input price inflation was a more pressing concern than impacts from hurricanes Eta and Iota for all producers. Our multivariate analysis suggested that location was less important than surplus subsistence (corn and bean) production, water security, farm size, and income, all correlated significantly with improved seasonal hunger. Production diversity and farmers’ formal education correlated with household dietary diversity. This is among the first studies comparing coffee and cacao producers and assessing their agroecological strategies in relation to food security, water security, nutrition, and vulnerability. Findings are relevant for many of the 15 million smallholder coffee and cacao growers seeking more sustainable livelihoods and for potentially modifying the useful multidimensional agroecological indicators frameworks, like the UN FAO’s Tool for Agroecological Performance Assessment, to include measures of farmers’ water and food security.