Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction in Agriculture: Trade-off or Win–Win Situation for Small Farmers in the Sudanian Area of Burkina Faso?

Abstract

Agriculture can contribute to carbon emission mitigation by storing more carbon in the soil through greener cropping systems. This study aims to assess the impact of mitigation strategies on small farmers’ welfare. It uses a case study of small farmers in Burkina Faso, relying on an analyse programming model, in which farmers maximize their utility subject to a set of such constraints. The results show that integrating an emission reduction will negatively impact farmers’ utility, while integrating perennial crops increases their utility and the net carbon balance. Policymakers should therefore encourage farmers to adopt perennial crops in their cropping systems. To reach the emission reduction targets in the annual cropping system, incentives are needed to compensate for their foregone income.