Farmers’ Decision-Making Process under Climate Change: Developing a Conceptual Framework

Subject Areas : Decision-making

طاهر  عزیزی‌خالخیلی ¹ (استادیار، گروه ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی، دانشگاه علوم کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی ساری، ساری، ایران)
توماس  آئنیس ² (رئیس گروه ارتباطات و ترویج کشاورزی، دانشکده علوم زیستی، دانشگاه هومبولت، برلین، آلمان)
میثم  منتی زاده ³ (دکترای ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی، دانشگاه شیراز، ایران)
غلامحسین  زمانی ⁴ (استاد ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی، بخش ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی، دانشگاه شیراز، شیراز، ایران)

Received: 2020-01-04 Accepted : 2020-10-11 Published : 2021-03-01

Keywords: Farmers’ adaptation, Climate Change, Smallholder farmers, decision-making,

Abstract :

In recent decades, climate change and frequent droughts have had great impacts on farming systems and have led farmers to become accustomed to these conditions, which are causing problems, especially, for smallholder farmers. With the severe weather events and their adverse effects, especially in arid regions, farmers' adaptation to these changes is an indisputable and critical strategy. Thus, farmers need to make complex decisions about mitigating the adverse effects of climate change to take advantage of newer opportunities as possible. The understanding of the process by which farmers decide to stand facing climate changes and probing into the determinants of the process provide research evidence for policymakers to assist farmers to adapt to climate change effects. This article would establish a conceptual framework, inclusive of factors influencing farmers’ decision-making to adapt to climate change, and would clarify causal relations among these factors. According to the results, household characteristics, economic factors, knowledge, motives and goals, perceived outcomes of adaptation, social, personal norms, perception of climate change, perceived risk and obstacles, attitude towards climate change, prospective perception of climate change, the evaluation of climate change, and adaptation initiatives could influence farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change.

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