ABSTRACT
Extreme climatic events associated with climate variability have exposed the vulnerability of human systems to such events (Le Roy, 1991; Jáuregui, 1995; Florescano and Swan, 1995; Stern and Easterling, 1999). In response, human systems have generated various adaptation strategies and measures according to their differing socioeconomic capacities to cope. Economic globalization processes have, on the one hand, extended, in principle, the access to knowledge and technology that can support a wide range of coping capabilities. On the other hand, in the developing countries, they have also influenced an accelerated loss of resources for many social groups and contributed to a deterioration of the social organizations that have applied and supported these capabilities. These kinds of globalization impacts are especially true for the climate sensitive agricultural sector and as O’Brian and Leichencko (2000) have stated, climate change and economic globalization are two ‘external’ processes that affect agricultural systems in the developing world.
