2801. The impact of perceived climate extremes on farmer adaptation decisions to climate change
Invited abstract in session WB-61: Behavioral studies in cognate domains 1, stream Behavioural OR.
Wednesday, 10:30-12:00Room: Maurice Keyworth G.31
Authors (first author is the speaker)
| 1. | Oliver Behn
|
| 2. | Marlene Kionka
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| Humboldt-Universität Berlin | |
| 3. | Michael Leyer
|
| Chair of Digitalisation and Process Management, University of Marburg | |
| 4. | Silke Hüttel
|
| University of Göttingen |
Abstract
Increasing magnitude and frequency of climate extremes pose a major threat to farm productivity and food security. Adaptation trends, however, show gaps, remain incremental (e.g., irrigation) and insufficiently transformative (e.g., agroforestry). These trends could be explained by farmers’ risk behavior or low attitudes to changes in the production system. While past studies assume decision-making from description, less is known about how perceived climate extremes shape adaptation behavior through experience. This study applies instance-based learning theory, where individuals form decisions based on past experiences and environmental feedback. We examine how past climate extremes influence farmers' adaptation choices through an experiment using a hypothetical farm. A split-treatment design shows one group a drought-induced field fire, while the control sees no fire. Participants then choose between no adaptation, water storage (no system change), or agroforestry (system change). Results from 176 German agricultural students—54% with farming experience—show those exposed to fire opted more for agroforestry, though timing of implementation was unaffected. Higher past perceived damage due to experiences also increased adaptation likelihood. Findings suggest that adaptation behavior towards climate-mitigating systems like agroforestry can be encouraged by real-world demonstrations of climate impacts. Future research should explore effective communication strategies.
Keywords
- OR in Agriculture
- Environmental Management
Status: accepted
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