Multidimensional Typology of Mexican Farmers in the Context of Climate Change

Abstract

Mexico has a wide range of biophysical and socioeconomic conditions that result in farmers with highly diverse traits and activities in relation to their livelihoods. The aim of this research was to identify specific traits of Mexican farmers that would allow them to be classified through a multidimensional approach that includes the risk of production in the face of exposure and vulnerability to climate change. The method included three dimensions: producer sensitivity, production destination, and exposure to climate change. Principal component analysis combined with the Dalenius and Hodges optimal stratification technique was used to stratify the universe of agricultural producers. The results show that up to 227 groups of agricultural producers can be identified in Mexico, and it was possible to classify them into 19 types, ranging from agricultural producers at greatest risk due to the adverse effects of climate change to agricultural producers with fewer difficulties to produce in conditions of climate change. This proposed multidimensional typology of agricultural producers can become an essential input for designing, reorienting, or focusing public policies in the agricultural sector and moving towards fulfilling the commitments declared in the INDC-2030.