Introduction: The Central American coffee production area is predicted to reduce substantially under progressive climate change. The livelihoods of many smallholders in these landscapes are threatened because they largely depend on coffee production. Despite the growing emphasis on on-farm diversification to manage climate risks and improve food security in coffee landscapes, there are no criteria developed to quantify the status, need and outreach of diversification. Objectives: We identified with community representatives and other local stakeholders in two contrasting coffee zones in Nicaragua (dry and humid): 1) the role of onfarm diversification in farmer strategies in climate change adaptation; 2) different dimensions of on-farm diversification; and 3) the need for specific measures to make use of the potential of diversification. Methods: We carried out a literature review highlighting the different dimensions of diversification, and for each dimension, the benefits and drawbacks of diversification for smallholders of coffee landscapes. We consulted institutions and focal groups from ten communities in two contrasting coffee zones in Nicaragua about: 1) the vulnerability of their livelihoods to climate changes ; 2) existing and desirable strategies to adapt to these changes; 3) existing diversity in coffee farms; 4) what on-farm diversification would represent for them to be an effective way of adapting to climate change. Taken into account the gender issue, we conducted interviews in farm households to understand how actual diversification is related to climate risk management and food security status, and to identify specific needs to enable farmers making use of the potential for diversification. To embed our results in local development and research processes, our activities were linked to existing farmer initiatives and the local university agronomy faculty. In each coffee zone, phenological calendars for the principal crops were developed on the basis o