Rising ambient air temperatures, migration, and deforestation threaten the sustainability of hillside agriculture in Atlantida, Honduras. Currently, farmers avoid climatic constraints to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production by planting at distinct altitudes during different seasons. However, this practice may become less effective due to climatic change. Farmers in ten villages in Atlantida, five at a lower altitude and five at a higher altitude, were interviewed to determine their knowledge and experience with climatic change, bean production and to collect data for a cost benefit analysis. Differences in bean production and yield between the low altitude and high altitude villages were attributed mainly to climatic constraints, due to differences in elevation. In this study, a cost/benefit analysis was conducted to determine if the development and introduction of heat tolerant bean varieties could help to alleviate heat-related constraints on bean production.
展开▼
