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Response to Climate Risks among Smallholder Farmers in Malawi: A Multivariate Probit Assessment of the Role of Information, Household Demographics and Farm Characteristics

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  • Mulwa, Chalmers
  • Marenya, Paswel
  • Rahut, Dil Bahadur
  • Kassie, Menale

Abstract

Located in southern Africa, Malawi is a country increasingly facing numerous climate-related stressors including droughts and floods. Adaptation to these stressors is critical to the sustainability of the farming systems in the country. Using household and plot level data collected in 2011, we implement a multivariate probit model to assess the determinants of farmer adaptation behavior to climatic risks. The ex-ante adaptation practices considered by farmers include: planting drought, disease and pest tolerant varieties, early planting, soil and water conservation and crop diversification. We find that plot characteristics, credit constraints and availability of climate-related information explain the adoption of several of these adaptation practices. We also find that even when financial limitations are binding, availing climate-related information still motivate farmers to adapt. Policy effort to build resilience among rural farming systems should focus on extension education and information delivery with special emphasis on climate risks information and associated adaptation mechanisms.

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  • Mulwa, Chalmers & Marenya, Paswel & Rahut, Dil Bahadur & Kassie, Menale, 2015. "Response to Climate Risks among Smallholder Farmers in Malawi: A Multivariate Probit Assessment of the Role of Information, Household Demographics and Farm Characteristics," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212511, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae15:212511
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.212511
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    7. Lindumusa Myeni & Mokhele Edmond Moeletsi, 2020. "Factors Determining the Adoption of Strategies Used by Smallholder Farmers to Cope with Climate Variability in the Eastern Free State, South Africa," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, September.
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    Environmental Economics and Policy; Farm Management;

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