Missouri Farmers' Perceptions of Climate Change, Adaptation Strategies and the Adoption and Diffusion of Market-Oriented Risk Management Strategies

This dissertation, through a mixed methods approach, investigates Missouri farmers’ perceptions of climate change and variability in relation to their adoption of adaptation strategies. Using a combination of geospatial and statistical analysis, it examines the similarities and differences in on-farm and off-farm adaptation behavior stratified by farmers perception of climate change occurring or not occurring. We further analyze the diffusion of financial risk management instruments among farmers in Missouri to uncover associations between perception of climate change and the utilization or adoption of income guarantee financial tools, as well as other risk management instruments such as forward/risk management contracts. Results from the study reveal that while farmers tend to remember their experiences of extreme weather events such as flood and drought, they cannot, with certainty, link these experiences to the changing trends of temperature and precipitation. Additionally, farmers’ adaptation behaviors were independent of their climate change perceptions. Although the farmers in our study cohort adopt more on-farm adaptation measures, there was a shift towards increased use of financial risk management instruments between 1995 and 2018. This is a significant finding with important implications because it suggests that farmers will adopt adaptation practices to protect crop production and income potential independent of their climate change perceptions. This research holds value for policy makers because it adopts a bottom-up approach that provides an understanding of the farmers’ perspective which is vital for decision making in the face of predicted increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events that have cascading effects on agricultural production and food security across local, regional and global scales. It also provides insight for improving the communication of climate science to stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geosciences (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Aderonmu, Abigail Tolulope

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Adegoke, Jimmy O.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/86710

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/86710