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What Motivates Farmers’ Adaptation to Climate Change? The Case of Apple Farmers of Shaanxi in China

Author

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  • Xiaolong Feng

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Mingyue Liu

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Xuexi Huo

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Wanglin Ma

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

Abstract

Past studies showing that barriers to farmers’ adaptation behaviors are focused on their socio-economic factors and resource availability. Meanwhile, psychological and social considerations are sparingly mentioned, especially for the related studies in developing countries. This study investigates the impact of psychological factors and social appraisal on farmers’ behavioral intention to adopt adaptation measures for the aforementioned reason, due to climate change and not to anthropogenic climate change. Drawing on the protection motivation theory, a threat, coping, social appraisal, maladaptation and behavioral intention to adopt adaptation measures (TCSMBI) model was proposed to predict farmers’ adaptation. A structural equation model was then employed to analyze the relationships between variables in the TCSMBI model with 658 apple farmers in Shaanxi province, China. The empirical results showed that threat appraisal and coping appraisal have positive and significant impacts on behavioral intention to climate change. Moreover, threat appraisal reduces the occurrence of maladaptation, and social appraisal tends to have significantly positive impacts on threat appraisal and coping appraisal.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaolong Feng & Mingyue Liu & Xuexi Huo & Wanglin Ma, 2017. "What Motivates Farmers’ Adaptation to Climate Change? The Case of Apple Farmers of Shaanxi in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:4:p:519-:d:94360
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    5. Nanda Kaji Budhathoki & Douglas Paton & Jonatan A. Lassa & Gopal Datt Bhatta & Kerstin K. Zander, 2020. "Heat, cold, and floods: exploring farmers’ motivations to adapt to extreme weather events in the Terai region of Nepal," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 103(3), pages 3213-3237, September.
    6. Abera Nega & Tesema Dereje, 2019. "Perceptions and practices of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies among farmers in the Konta Special District, Ethiopia," Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 7(4), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Grace B. Villamor & Steve J. Wakelin & Andrew Dunningham & Peter W. Clinton, 2023. "Climate change adaptation behaviour of forest growers in New Zealand: an application of protection motivation theory," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(2), pages 1-25, February.
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    9. Zhang, Daojun & Yang, Wanjing & Kang, Dingrong & Zhang, Han, 2023. "Spatial-temporal characteristics and policy implication for non-grain production of cultivated land in Guanzhong Region," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
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    11. Ulrike Meinel & Karl-Michael Höferl, 2017. "Non-Adaptive Behavior in the Face of Climate Change: First Insights from a Behavioral Perspective Based on a Case Study among Firm Managers in Alpine Austria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-18, June.
    12. Ghanian, Mansour & M. Ghoochani, Omid & Dehghanpour, Mojtaba & Taqipour, Milad & Taheri, Fatemeh & Cotton, Matthew, 2020. "Understanding farmers’ climate adaptation intention in Iran: A protection-motivation extended model," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
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