Ciprian NIȚU
Denisa PAUL
| Abstract: | This paper critically examines an UNDP initiative designed to support climate resilience of smallholder farmers. Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia (SCRALA) project is based on the assumption that agricultural resilience-building intrinsically lead to food security. Using critical discourse analysis, this study undertakes a contextual, textual, and intertextual investigation of the official SCRALA documents aiming to question the above assumption. Contextual analysis explores the discursive context that surrounds the SCRALA’s approach to climate resilience and food security. Textual analysis focuses on the lexical choices and distribution of active and passive voice within the SCRALA narrative. Intertextual analysis highlights the discursive connections both internally, between the documents of the SCRALA project, and externally, with the larger UN narrative on agro-resilience and food security. The paper reveals the pre-eminence of a technocratic discourse within SCRALA project. This discourse aligned with the priorities of the donor sector, consistently emphasizes quantifiable outputs, yet often obscures local vulnerabilities. Within the official narrative, the project is presented as a key mechanism to secure agricultural sustainability in Zambia. Yet, the institutional narratives dominate, often silencing the lived experiences of smallholder farmers. This paper advocates for a more inclusive adaptation framework, one that roots agricultural resilience in equity, justice, and rights. |
| Keywords: | smallholder farming, food security, vulnerable rural areas, agricultural resilience, SCRALA Zambia |