Factors affecting climate adaptation behavior among grain farmers in China

Climate change is one of the most prominent challenges for human society in this century. Climate disruptions, such as heat waves and precipitation anomalies, pose tremendous risks to agricultural production. China requires large amounts of grain, and ensuring domestic grain production is necessary for food security. Since grain production in China faces huge risks under climate change in both cultivable area and yield, implementing adaptation measures is key to reducing the negative impacts. This study aims to understand the adoption of adaptation behavior and its determinants among grain farmers in China, through a farm-level survey of over 1000 households and an econometric analysis of the survey data. Survey results suggested that grain farmers in China did not commonly take adaptation actions; proactive adaptation behavior was less common than reactive adaptation. Ordered probit model results revealed that in addition to weather-shock experience, adaptation capacity plays a significant role in determining adaptation behavior. Results are robust under alternative econometric methods. Our results highlight the importance of enhancing the adaptation capacity of farmers via policymaking, such as providing financial support, improving infrastructure for the deployment of agricultural machinery, and providing agricultural technology training.