Farmer's motivations for growing diverse species and varieties in a semi-arid region of Madagascar

Understanding and integrating farmers’ knowledge guiding decisions of farmers regarding crops is essential to support actions that align with their needs and practices. Yet, existing studies have examined farmers’ choices of single crops either at the species or the varietal level, leaving both crop basket logics and level-specific differences in motivations largely unexplored. Here we conducted a thematic analysis of 27 semi-structured interviews to examine and compare multiple farmers’ reported motivations for cultivating diversity at the species versus varietal levels in a semi-arid region of southwestern Madagascar. Farmers mobilize distinct rationales depending on the level considered. At the species level, risk mitigation emerges as a key motivation for cultivating diverse crops, but is poorly reported at the varietal level. Diversifying crops is also mainly linked to socio-cultural influences such as peer recognition and status. Economic profitability was rarely emphasized, reflecting heterogeneous views of its role rather than a dominant driver. At the varietal level, farmers diversify to meet complementary needs - for example by combining short-cycle varieties that bridge hunger gaps with longer-cycle, higher-yielding ones. Seed access and intercropping practices considerations were specific to varietal diversity. Food-related motivations were central at both levels, but expressed differently: species diversity secures overall food quantity, whereas varietal diversity enables staggered harvests and continuous food availability across seasons. By illuminating motivations across species and varietal levels for the first time, this study highlights the plurality and complexity of farmers’ perspectives and underscores the need to include them in the growing number of policies, research and action promoting crop basket diversification to enhance resilience in shock-prone areas.