Passive adaptation to climate change among Indian farmers

Abstract

Effective adaptation is crucial for building climate resilience in agriculture. This study attempted to understand the perception of farmers about changing climate and its impact on agriculture, its consistency with observed trends. It further assessed the major adaptation strategies opted-in by the farmers along with the identification of the motivation that led to opt-in or opt-out. Multi-stage sampling was used to collect responses from farmers (n = 300) of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. The validity of responses was verified through secondary data analysis. The findings revealed that 82% farmers perceived rise in temperature, 85% believed that the rainfall has altered, and 95% believed that the intensity of rainfall has changed. More than 60% of the farmers agreed that alterations in temperature and precipitation reduce the production as well as the revenue. A large fraction of farmers opted-in strategies like shifting of sowing dates (87%), change of variety (86%), and increase in irrigation (83%). While, resource saving strategies like conservation agriculture, water harvesting, were not considered (<25%). Interestingly, the motivation behind opting-in was not the knowledge but the monetary benefit generated by doing so i.e., passive adaptation. Among the non-adopters, a large fraction opted-out because they believed that ‘It is not needed’. Constructive policies need to prioritize generation of awareness and sensitization of farmers for active adaptation preferably through participatory approach.