Examining Field Crop Farmers’ Climate Change Perceptions, Adaptation Strategies, and Resilience in Florida: A spatial econometric approach

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Farm Business Management: community-supported agriculture
• Sustainable Communities: social networks, sustainability measures

Climate variability poses a direct threat to Florida's agricultural production and sustained growth. The detrimental effects of extreme weather events and unusual weather patterns often result in revenue losses, decreased crop yields, decreased soil quality, and the spread of pests and diseases. To respond to climate change adverse effects, farmers often engage in different adaptation measures and implement climate resilience strategies. The purpose of this project is to examine the effects of climate change perceptions, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and community-based networks on climate change adaptation and reliance among Florida field-crop farmers. We evaluate the impact of community-based networks and their interactions with climate change perceptions and attitudes on adaptation and climate resilience strategies. Also, we investigate the role of climate change perceptions and community-based networks on climate change adaptation and resilience by farmers' intersectionality, including age, sex, race, median income, and median farm size. Continued stakeholder involvement for project activities and evaluation are integrated through an independent Advisory Council. The proposed project supports the development of Florida's sustainable agriculture by expanding our understanding of significant social and psychological predictors of climate change adaptation and resilience behaviors. Findings from this project will provide further guidance for the formulation and implementation of future adaptation programs and climate resilience policies in agricultural production.

1. Evaluate the effects of Florida field-crop farmers' perceptions of climate variability and attitudes on adaptation and climate resilience strategies
2. Examine the impact of community-based networks and their interactions with climate change perceptions and attitudes on adaptation and climate resilience strategies.
3. Analyze the role of climate change perceptions and community-based networks on climate change adaptation and resilience by farmers' intersectionality.
4. Incorporate stakeholder' recommendations in the execution of project activities and disseminate findings on climate change adaptation and climate resilience among Florida field-crop farmers.