Development of a Scale to Remove Farmers’ Sustainability Barriers to Meteorological Information in Iran

Naser Valizadeh,Alishir Kurban,Latif Haji,Yenny Katherine Parra-Acosta,Ants-Hannes Viira,Hossein Azadi,Mahsa Fatemi,Masoud Bijani,Negin Fallah Haghighi

doi:10.3390/su132212617

Abstract

Even with significant breakthroughs in the production and delivery of meteorological information, most farmers are not able to utilize such information properly and pertinently. Up to the present time, a standardized scale has not been developed to examine farmers’ sustainability barriers to meteorological information use (BMIU). Furthermore, there is no doubt that identifying indicators and dimensions of sustainability barriers to meteorological information and weather forecasts’ usage by farmers can play a major role in their adaptation and resilience to the risks of climate change. Therefore, the present study aimed to generate and validate a scale for BMIU by farmers through an eight-step approach. Accordingly, the statistical population included 9006 Iranian farmers, 368 of whom were selected as study samples. The principal component factor analysis (PCFA) and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were further practiced to develop the scale for meteorological information and weather forecasts’ use. Factor analysis also led to the emergence of five latent factors including “educational–communicative barriers (ECBs)”, “normative barriers (NBs)”, “informational barriers (IBs)”, “infrastructural–political barriers (IPBs)”, and “professional–economic barriers (PEBs)”. The second-order CFA correspondingly confirmed these five factors and their 25 related indicators. Given the challenges facing academic scholars, decision makers, and authorities in the application and facilitation of meteorological information, the developed multidimensional scale in this study along with its implementation steps can be effective in examining the limitations of utilizing such information and measuring its impacts in different agricultural communities.

Highlights

Meteorological information and weather forecasts are recognized as major factors affecting agricultural systems [1,2,3]
Having access to better meteorological information and providing technical climate recommendations to farmers are taken into account as effective ways to adapt to climate change [18], which can have a significant impact on making proper decisions on the usage of this information by farmers
The results revealed that the goodness-of-fit index (GFI) and the adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) were greater than the plausible value of

Summary

Introduction

Meteorological information and weather forecasts are recognized as major factors affecting agricultural systems [1,2,3]. It should be noted that decision making takes place in complex dynamic environments such as the agricultural sector in which there is a network of different actors with their own specific interests, concerns, and areas of activity In this regard, the issue of failure to use meteorological information and weather forecasts has been studied from various aspects [8]. Despite the vital role that meteorological information and weather forecasts play in minimizing the damage to the agricultural sector, enhancing farmers’ adaptation to climate change, and reducing their vulnerability [13,14,15,16,17,18], there are constraints and issues hindering farmers from exploiting such information efficiently and effectively [19].

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion