Resumen de Análisis de preferencias hacia las acciones de adaptación y mitigación al cambio climático: perspectiva del agricultor en el noroeste de méxico
Climate change is the most recurrent natural process on a global scale and one of the greatest challenges of our times; due to the close relationship between society, productive activities and economic development. One of the productive activities most vulnerable to climate change is agriculture, which is threatened in the quality and yield of crops and with it, food security worldwide. Climate variability increases uncertainty in production, affecting the behavior and decisions of farmers. In this thesis, we analyzed farmers’ preferences towards the mitigation and adaptation actions to climate change in the northwestern region of Mexico. A Specific emphasis was carried out on farmers’ technical efficiency, risk and environmental attitudes. The -irrigation district (076) of Valle del Carrizo in the north of the state of Sinaloa, Mexico was taken as a case study. The data was collected through a face-to-face survey, conducted with a group of 370 farmers stratified by farm size, gender and age.
Firstly, farmers’ risk attitudes were analyzed using the hypothetical Multiple Price List (MPL) Method known as lotteries. This risk behavior was posteriorly related to farmer’ environmental attitude using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP). Farmers’ perceptions towards climate change and their socioeconomic were also highlighted. The results showed a risk level of 0.32, according to the constant relative risk aversion coefficient (CRRA), placing farmers in the region as a risk-averse group. The heterogeneity analysis showed that farmers who received economic support and used it in structural investment at the farm level were more risk-tolerant; respect to the gender, women were more risk-tolerant than their counterparts (risk tolerant: 61% women and 39% men). Farmers “above 60 years of age” had a lower risk aversion on average, compared to farmers in the range of 41 to 60 years’ old, who were more conservative, with a higher level of risk aversion.
Secondly farmers' preferences towards climate change mitigation and adaptation actions were analyzed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology. Preferences were related to their stated risk attitudes, environmental beliefs and characteristics. The results showed that farmers' environmental beliefs and perceptions of farmers such as “the use of less polluting machinery” and “investment in improving irrigation infrastructure” were the most preferred climate change mitigation and adaptation actions for farmers from the study region. The environmental opinions analyzed allowed to identify farmers’ ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes, highlighting the commitment of most farmers to the sustainable use of natural resources.
Thirdly, the technical efficiency (TE) of agricultural producers was analyzed using the Stochastic Frontier (SF) method. The results showed the average efficiency levels (57%) for three identified groups of farmers: high TE (15% of the farmers), average TE (72%) and low TE (13%). The level of efficiency was related to their risk attitudes, their preferences on climate change mitigation and adaptation actions, and their perception of climate change. The results showed a relationship between the preferred adaptation actions against climate change. Farmers who showed greater TE preferred the action "change crops", while less efficient farmers preferred to "invest in irrigation infrastructure".
As part of the findings of this research, we found that it is necessary to involve farmers in making agricultural public policy decisions, making them aware of the effects of climate change on production in accordance with the declarations of sustainable development related to the environment.
