Adoption of traditional and modern climate change adaptation technologies: insights from Ecuadorian agriculture

While all humans are expected to be affected by climate change in some way, farmers in less developed countries are especially vulnerable due to high dependence on agriculture and lack of resources to cope with climate-related events. In the last few years, traditional knowledge has gained popularity among researchers and practitioners due to its adaptability, resilience and potential to promote climate change adaptation from the grassroots level. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted to determine the socioeconomic factors shaping decisions of adopting traditional technologies over other alternatives. With a large data set (n = 5,324) covering diverse ethnicities and geographical regions, this paper analyzes the determinants of the choice of climate change adaptation technologies in Ecuador. The findings show that around half of the farmers having been affected by climate change have adopted adaptation responses, with most of them relying on traditional adaptation technologies. The results of a multinomial probit regression reveal that the likelihood of adopting traditional technologies is higher for indigenous farmers in areas not accessible by road, but is lower for farmers that have received training from governmental organizations. The likelihood of adopting modern adaptation technologies is positively correlated with access to credit and access to training, regardless if it is delivered by the Government, private companies or NGOs. Farmers in the Amazon are less likely to adopt any climate change adaptation measure. Incorporating traditional knowledge to training programs, increasing availability of training programs and providing financial mechanisms for traditional farmers willing to incorporate modern technologies to their adaptation strategies are explored as alternatives to strengthen climate change adaptation among Ecuadorian farmers.