Assessing Factors Influencing Farmers’ Perceptions on Adaptation to Climate Change: A Case of Apple Farmers in Cheongsong, Korea

Abstract

One of the most important consequences of climate change in Korea is the moving of the adequate cultivation area for apple. To respond adequately to such consequences, the farmers require performing on the adaptation measures. Although Korean government puts great efforts to develop adaptation measures, the livelihoods of agriculture and rural communities are still posing great threats from climate variability and change. It is because the most of adaptation studies and policies fail to address the perception of farmers who decide and perform the adaptation measures. Without an understanding of farmers’ perceptions, private adaptation strategies are unlikely to be effective. This paper, therefore, aims to investigate and analyze factors influencing farmers’ perception on adaptation behaviors. To meet such objectives, this study based on theory, a Model of Private Proactive Adaptation to Climate Change (MPPACC), explaining individual’s intention of adaptive behavior is based on socio-cognitive aspects including perceived adaptation measure efficacy, self-efficacy and adaptation costs. To analyze the factors influencing farmers’ perception and behavior of climate change adaptation, 170 apple farmers in Cheongsong County is selected for farm household survey. By analyzing through multiple linear regressions, the results were found that the farmers’ perceptions of adaptive efficacy are significantly associated with farm household demographic and socioeconomic factors including investment in crop insurance, and contents and sources of information. This implies that to enhance the farmers’ motivation to adaptation, the local government should pay further attention to improve credibility of crop insurance efficacy and the quality and source information to increase farmers’ adaptive capacity through increased farmers’ perception on adaptation efficacy.