scholarly journals Psychological capital and climate change adaptation: Empirical evidence from smallholder farmers in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Unity Chipfupa ◽  
Aluwani Tagwi ◽  
Edilegnaw Wale

There are calls for better empirical models to inform climate change adaptation in smallholder agriculture. Hitherto adaptation studies have failed to comprehensively integrate non-cognitive behavioural factors (e.g. psychological capital), and there is also no common framework for measuring non-cognitive abilities of smallholder farmers. Hence, this study is the first attempt to assess how psychological capital affects climate change adaptation amongst smallholder farmers. The study estimated the multivariate probit regression model using data collected from 328 smallholder farmers in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The results show an association between some psychological capital indicators and smallholder adaptation decisions. Social networks, having multiple farming objectives, access to credit and the type of farmer (irrigators vs. non-irrigators) were also significant in determining smallholders’ adaptation decisions. In conclusion, the study recommends the need for practical ways for enhancing smallholders’ endowment with key non-cognitive abilities. There is also a need for researchers to develop a comprehensive framework for assessing non-cognitive factors critical for climate change adaptation. This will improve the use of positive psychology theories to advance the literature on climate change adaptation. Support should also be provided to communities facing higher risks of climate change adaptation. More focus should also be given to improve smallholder farmers’ ability to adapt, including access to affordable credit. The role of social networks in information sharing remains critical, and hence their promotion should be prioritised. The findings on multiple objectives in farming were unique to climate change adaptation research, and hence the indicator should be considered in future similar studies.

Author(s):  
Nomcebo R. Ubisi ◽  
Paramu L. Mafongoya ◽  
Unathi Kolanisi ◽  
Obert Jiri

AbstractThis study investigated the perceived effects of climate change on crop production and household livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Mopani and Vhembe district, South Africa. Data was collected through a questionnaire administered to 150 smallholder farmers. The questionnaires were complemented by 8 focus group discussions and secondary data. Multinomial logit regression model was used to analyse the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation strategies. The study findings revealed that subsistence farmers perceived prolonged droughts (56.4%) as the main shock stressing crop production. Droughts often lead to low crop yield and high crop failure (73.3%). In response to the prevailing climatic conditions different gender adopted different strategies, 41% of female farmers adapted by changing planting dates, while male farmers employed crop variety and diversification (35%) and mixed cropping (15%). The smallholder farmers were vulnerable with limited adaptive capacity to withstand climate change due to compromised social, human, physical, natural and financial assets. The results showed that smallholder farmers tend to adapt better when they have access to extension officers (P<0.01). Therefore, it is important for the government to strengthen the relationship between smallholder farmers and extension officers for better climate change adaptation.


Author(s):  
Manoj Kumar Das

Climate change poses severe threat to agriculture sector in terms of welfare losses especially for marginal & smallholder farmers whose main source of livelihood derives from agriculture. It is required to neutralize the potential adverse effects of climate change if welfare losses to this vulnerable segment of the society are to be avoided. So this study aims to assess the agricultural farmers’ vulnerability and determine quantitatively the factors that contribute in adaptation strategies. To accomplish the stated objective, primary surveys of agricultural farmers are designed and data are collected to analyse the results using probit regression model. The study is conducted in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, India. For the study, a total of 197 farmers’ households were surveyed and to assess the vulnerability of farmers’ household to climate change, IPCC-LVI approach is used. Then to identify the determinants of adaptation strategies, a regression model is run using probit model. The results reveal that farmers are moderately vulnerable to climate change in the study area. Further, marginal & small farmers are relatively more vulnerable than medium and large farmers to climate change. It is observed that size of the farm, income level, access to credit facilities, extension training and access to climate & weather information are important determinants of adaptation strategies of farmers. Therefore, the study concludes that better credit facilities, extension training facilities and dissemination of climate information may be done through policy intervention for more adaptation strategies by farmers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7905
Author(s):  
Moh. Shadiqur Rahman ◽  
Hery Toiba ◽  
Wen-Chi Huang

The impacts of climate change on marine capture fisheries have been observed in several studies. It is likely to have a substantial effect on fishers’ income and food security. This study aims to estimate the impact of adaptation strategies on fishers’ income and their household’s food security. Data were collected from small-scale fishers’ households, which own a fishing boat smaller or equal to five gross tonnages (GT). The study sites were the two coastal regions of Malang and Probolinggo in East Java, Indonesia, due to the meager socioeconomic resources caused by climate change. A probit regression model was used to determine the factors influencing the fishers’ adaptation. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to evaluate the impact of the adaptation strategies on income and food security. Food security was measured by food consumption score (FCS). The findings indicated that participation in the fishers’ group affected adaptation strategies significantly, and so did the access to credit and climate information. Also, PSM showed that the adaptation strategies had a positive and significant impact on fishers’ income and food security. Those who applied the adaptation strategies had a higher income and FCS than those who did not. This finding implies that the fishery sector’s adaptation strategies can have significant expansion outcome and reduce exposure to risks posed by climate change. Therefore, the arrangement of more climate change adaptation strategies should be promoted by the government for small-scale fishers in Indonesia.


AGROFOR ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adanna HENRI-UKOHA

The study on choice of climate change adaptation strategies practiced by cassavabased farmers was conducted in Southern Nigeria. The following specific objectives were achieved: to ascertain the perceived effects of climate change in the study area and to determine factors influencing the choice of using climate change adaptation strategies by cassava-based farmers in the study area. Data were obtained through the administration of questionnaire to 300 randomly sampled cassava-based farmers in the study area. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, frequencies, percentages and inferential statistics such as Multinomial Logit Regression technique. The result revealed that farmers perceived increase in flood incidence (91.33%), drought (90.67%), high incidence of pests and diseases (55%) and low yield (50%) as the effects of climate change in the study area. Also, from the results, 58% of the farmers chose not to employ the use of climate change adaptation strategies while only 42% decided to choose using climate change adaptation options in the study area. The result also showed that age of the farmer, farming experience, gender, marital status, level of education, household size, access to credit, access to agricultural extension services and membership of association were the factors influencing the choice climate change adaptation strategies used by the farmers. The study concluded that socioeconomic attributes of the farmers affected their choice of climate change adaptation strategies. Policy should be targeted at designing climate change adaptation technology to farmers as well as providing the enabling environment that would encourage them to employ it.


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