Diversified farming was not the only factor tied to smallholder food security

A Nicaragua cacao-and-coffee survey links diversity to diets, with important roles for water, staples and income.

Wild Lands Ecological Intelligence Editor
Wild Lands Institute · 23 October 2026

Evidence: Peer-reviewed
Geography: Nicaragua: Segovias coffee farms and Waslala cacao farms
System: Coffee-cacao farming / livelihood resilience

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS

A survey of 429 smallholders plus 13 interviews found crop diversity associated with dietary diversity, whereas staple crop surpluses, household water security, farm size and income also tracked food security. Input and food price inflation were immediate reported concerns.

WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ

Resilience must be evaluated as a livelihood and resource system, not a single agroecological practice.

CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY

Cross-sectional correlations do not prove that diversification alone reduced hunger; cacao and coffee sites have different conditions.

SOURCE

Agronomy for Sustainable Development — Bacon and Sundstrom (2026)
View original evidence ↗