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United States agricultural stakeholder views and decisions on climate change

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  • Allison M. Chatrchyan
  • Rachel C. Erlebacher
  • Nina T. Chaopricha
  • Joana Chan
  • Daniel Tobin
  • Shorna B. Allred

Abstract

Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to agricultural production globally and in the United States; it is both vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate and a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Because farmers need to quickly adapt to reduce their risks and emissions, there is a pressing need to better understand the process by which they make decisions. This complex decision‐making process includes many factors, such as farmers’ beliefs; knowledge and capacity to make changes; the information they receive from Extension, industry, and social networks (e.g., family and peers); economics and regulations; and farm‐scale and environmental issues (including personal experience with extreme weather). This study assesses the published literature on U.S. agricultural stakeholder views and decisions on climate change, focusing on farmers and ranchers from different regions. We identify key themes that emerge from the literature on how stakeholder views about extreme weather and climate change relate to decisions about adaptation and mitigation practices. This review finds that although the majority of U.S. farmers believe the climate is changing, many remain skeptical of the issue and uncertain about the anthropogenic causes of climate change. Farmers’ climate change mitigation and adaptation decisions also vary widely and are often correlated with belief or other factors such as personal experience with extreme weather, costs of change, or fear of regulation. We conclude with the implications of the research, including the importance of understanding farmers’ view and actions and issue framing, and implications for researchers, Extension and policy makers, both nationally and globally. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e469. doi: 10.1002/wcc.469 This article is categorized under: Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Perceptions of Climate Change

Suggested Citation

  • Allison M. Chatrchyan & Rachel C. Erlebacher & Nina T. Chaopricha & Joana Chan & Daniel Tobin & Shorna B. Allred, 2017. "United States agricultural stakeholder views and decisions on climate change," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(5), September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:wirecc:v:8:y:2017:i:5:n:e469
    DOI: 10.1002/wcc.469
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    1. Michael Carolan, 2020. "Filtering perceptions of climate change and biotechnology: values and views among Colorado farmers and ranchers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 159(1), pages 121-139, March.
    2. Upendra Bom & John Tiefenbacher & Shashidhar Belbase, 2023. "Individual and community perceptions of climate change in Lower Mustang, Nepal," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 5997-6031, July.
    3. Dina A. Awad & Hazem A. Masoud & Ahmed Hamad, 2024. "Climate changes and food-borne pathogens: the impact on human health and mitigation strategy," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(6), pages 1-25, June.
    4. Mhlangabezi Slayi & Leocadia Zhou & Ishmael Festus Jaja, 2023. "Constraints Inhibiting Farmers’ Adoption of Cattle Feedlots as a Climate-Smart Practice in Rural Communities of the Eastern Cape, South Africa: An In-Depth Examination," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-30, October.
    5. Niles, Meredith T. & Stahlmann-Brown, Philip & Wesselbaum, Dennis, 2025. "Risk tolerance and climate concerns predict transformative agricultural land use change," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    6. repec:plo:pone00:0215511 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Katherine Baldwin & Anne Effland, 2022. "Integrating prevention into the risk management policy toolkit: A strategy for improving resilience to extreme events," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(3), pages 1222-1240, September.
    8. Adam J. Snitker & Laurie Yung & Elizabeth Covelli Metcalf & R. Kyle Bocinsky & Neva Hassanein & Kelsey Jensco & Ada P. Smith & Austin Schuver, 2024. "How agricultural producers use local knowledge, climate information, and on-farm “experiments” to address drought risk," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(4), pages 1857-1875, December.
    9. Caroline Brock & Van R. Haden, 2024. "Amish and Non-Amish Farmer Perspectives on Climate Change Causes, Effects, and Adaptation Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-14, January.
    10. Melissa Parks, 2022. "Exploring the influence of social and informational networks on small farmers’ responses to climate change in Oregon," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1407-1419, December.

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