Climate change is depressing yields of major staple crops, heightening pressure on farming systems and accelerating crop transitions in marginal environments. In response, farmers are increasingly adopting stress-tolerant alternative crops as an adaptation strategy. However, evidence on the livelihood associations of such adoption remains fragmented. To address this gap, this meta-analysis quantifies the associations between stress-tolerant alternative crop adoption and livelihood outcomes (income, food security, resilience and adaptive capacity). Meta-regression is used to assess spatiotemporal heterogeneity and examine whether estimated associations vary across key explanatory factors, crop types and regional contexts. Based on 56 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025, 247 percentage-change effect-size estimates were extracted across the broader evidence base. Results suggest that drought-tolerant crops are positively associated with food security-related outcomes ( β = 0.175; p < 0.05), heat-tolerant crops with resilience-related outcomes ( β = 0.549; p < 0.01), and salt-tolerant crops with positive associations across income ( β = 0.195; p < 0.10), food security ( β = 0.225; p < 0.10), resilience ( β = 0.395; p < 0.01) and adaptive capacity ( β = 0.683; p < 0.01). Adoption-related associations are consistently linked to institutional support, credit access and market linkages, although the relative importance of these factors varies by climate stressor. Overall, the findings suggest that stress-tolerant alternative crop adoption is more consistently associated with food security and resilience than with short-term income-related outcomes, and that policy design may benefit from greater attention to stressor-specific adoption conditions.

Crop conversion from rice to alternative crops has gained momentum in many Southeast Asian countries as a strategy to adapt to climate change and strengthen rural livelihoods. This research examines lotus farming in Thua Thien Hue Province, one of the nation’s most climate-vulnerable regions. We used a mixed-methods approach that included key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a household survey with 95 lotus farmers. The shift to lotus cultivation was driven by the poor performance of rice in low-lying areas and farmers’ expectations of higher returns. Crop conversion policies also improved land access for many households. Although lotus is considered a high-value crop and plays an important role in land-use strategies for flood-prone areas, benefit–cost analysis showed it was economically unviable for most households in 2024. Smallholders relying on family labor tended to earn higher returns, creating a paradox where larger-scale operations did not improve profitability. Repeated crop failures from nematode infestations and extreme weather, combined with high production costs, created significant constraints, particularly for larger farms. Improving the sustainability of lotus and other alternative crops will require promoting indigenous lotus varieties, expanding mechanization, and strengthening post-harvest practices to increase efficiency and resilience.

Crop conversion from inefficient rice fields to lotus cultivation has been strongly promoted in low-lying areas of Thua Thien Hue Province in recent years. To assess the opportunities and constraints of lotus farming, this research applied a mixed-methods approach, including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a household survey with 95 lotus farmers. Two main factors that drove the shift to lotus cultivation were the limitations of the rice farming system in low-lying areas and farmers’ expectations of high economic returns from lotus crops. In addition, crop conversion policies have played an important role in facilitating land access for farming households. Despite being perceived as a high-value crop, lotus production has proven economically unviable for most surveyed households in 2024. Smallholders who rely on family labor tend to achieve higher efficiency, highlighting a paradox where increased scale does not lead to greater profitability. Consecutive crop failures caused by nematode diseases and unfavorable weather, combined with high production costs, have posed serious challenges, particularly for larger farms. These findings suggest that promoting indigenous lotus varieties, expanding mechanization, encouraging farmer cooperation, and improving post-harvest practices are essential to enhance production efficiency and support the sustainability of the lotus sector.