Climate risk to agriculture: A synthesis to define different types of critical moments

Increasing climate variability will put crop production at risk, undermining the sustainability of agriculture-based livelihoods. Much effort has gone into assessing differential vulnerability – or who is risk. However, time dimension increased risk when often only implicitly included in modelling, statistical and empirical studies. We define explore concept “critical moments” (CMs); that is, periods heightened during year farm households are vulnerable to specific hazards. The agronomy socio-economics literature reviewed different types critical moments. Climate modelling emphasizes hazards but less about window risks relation cycles. Agronomy research develops cause-and-effect relationships between weather variables yields by stage generally does not consider hazard frequency associated vulnerability. Socio-economic analyses associations hazards, income, lacks full process knowledge, neglecting other pathways contribute Our synthesis aims bridge disciplinary silos, proposes an integrated towards In this study, three CM identified: CM’s with immediate, compound shifted impact. moments novel as it considers direct indirect impacts well coping strategies. Viewing agriculture through a lens can support greater interdisciplinary engagement identify vulnerabilities develop promote effective options user-relevant mechanisms reduce particular places