Double Exposure to Climate Change and Globalization in a Peruvian Highland Community

Livelihood strategies in the Peruvian Highlands are currently at risk as smallholder farmers are simultaneously confronted by two major disruptions: economic globalization and climate change. Results of interviews conducted in Langui, Peru, with 40 farming households show that agriculture in the region is undergoing a number of adaptations as households transition from planting traditional staple crops to planting improved varieties of grasses for livestock for dairy production. These adaptations are a response to increased extreme weather events and increased opportunity for participation in the formal market. There is a need for balanced development strategies in this region that promote market participation while allowing smallholder farmers to maintain food self-sufficiency and agrobiodiversity in the face of climate change and a changing global economy.