Climate change and farmers’ perceptions

impact on rubber farming in the upper Mekong region

authored by: Shi Min, Xiaobing Wang, Shaoze Jin, Hermann Waibel, Jikun Huang
Abstract: This article examines the impact of farmers’ perceptions of temperature change on implementing environmentally friendly agriculture practices on rubber plantations. Based on the data collected from 611 smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (XSBN) in the upper Mekong region, an endogenous switching probit model and an endogenous treatment effects model are applied to estimate the impacts of farmers’ perceptions of temperature change on implementing environmentally friendly rubber plantations (EFRP) proxied by the intercropping system. While the real annual average temperature in XSBN has been increasing, only 59% of respondents perceived an increasing trend, whereas over 38% perceived no change. Farmers’ perceptions of temperature change appear to hinge on their education and socioeconomic characteristics and the experience of shocks related to regional climate change. Improving farmers’ perceptions of increasing temperature can significantly foster their practice of EFRP. Hence, policies that promote awareness of regional climate change can effectively encourage the implementation of mitigation practices.
Organisation(s): Institute of Development and Agricultural Economics
External Organisation(s): Huazhong Agricultural University
Peking University
Type: Article
Journal: Climatic change
Volume: 163
Pages: 451-480
No. of pages: 30
ISSN: 0165-0009
Publication date: 11.2020
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Global and Planetary Change, Atmospheric Science
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, SDG 13 - Climate Action
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02876-2 (Access: Closed)