Risk attitudes are relevant factors affecting production, management and investment decisions at the farm level. They are key factors related to farmers’ attitudes towards the environment and climate change. Several methodological approaches, which were considered to be preferable for measuring the level of risk of an economic agent, ranging from highly risk-tolerant to highly risk-averse attitudes, are available. The Multiple Price List (MPL) method is one of the stated approaches that is gaining relevance. In this study, we apply the MPL and relate the risk outcomes to farmers’ socio-economic characteristics and their perceptions of the environment and climate change. Data were collected using a face-to-face survey, carried out with a group of 370 farmers of an irrigation district, located in the northwest of Mexico. The results showed a risk level of about 0.32, according to the Constant Relative Risk Aversion (CRRA) coefficient, locating farmers of the region in a risk-averse group. The heterogeneity analysis showed that the socioeconomic factors and the perceptions of climate change are related to the farmers´ stated risk level. Farmers who are young women, with a tendency to use public support for structural investment, were shown to be risk-tolerant. Farmers considered floods, hail, diseases, pests, and weed growth incidences to be the most frequent weather patterns in the region.
Climate change has adverse effects on agriculture, decreasing crop quality and productivity. This makes it necessary to implement adaptation and mitigation strategies that contribute to the maintenance of technical efficiency (TE). This study analyzed the relationship of TE with farmers’ mitigation and adaptation action preferences, their risk and environmental attitudes, and their perception of climate change. Through the stochastic frontier method, TE levels were estimated for 370 farmers in Northwest Mexico. The results showed the average efficiency levels (57%) for three identified groups of farmers: High TE (15% of farmers), average TE (72%), and low TE (13%). Our results showed a relationship between two of the preferred adaptation actions against climate change estimated using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method. The most efficient farmers preferred “change crops,” while less efficient farmers preferred “invest in irrigation infrastructure.” The anthropocentric environmental attitude inferred from the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale was related to the level of TE. Efficient farmers were those with an anthropocentric environmental attitude, compared to less efficient farmers, who exhibited an ecocentric attitude. The climate change issues were more perceived by moderately efficient farmers. These findings set out a roadmap for policy-makers to face climate change at the regional level.
Agricultural and livestock production has among its environmental challenges the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) and nutrient recovery. To achieve this, it must adopt new technologies and innovative solutions at the farm level that allow it to improve efficiency in the use of resources, as well as the recovery of nutrients within its food production systems, allowing it to reach sustainability. The adoption of innovations, in which circular economy actions are implemented such as the transformation of slurry into biofertilizers (LL20 Low-temperature ammonium-stripping using vacuum-pig slurry treatment), allows for reducing GHG emissions and recovery of nutrients by improving efficiency in the use of resources and reducing the negative effect on the environment. Identifying the reasons, that drive farmers to decide to adopt a certain technological solution in which the principles of circularity are applied, contributes to the generation of action strategies that favor environmental conservation. That is why this study aims to identify and prioritize the main motivations that affect the adoption of circular agronomy solutions at the farm level by stakeholders of the productive part of the agri-food value chain including farmers, fertilizers' industries, agricultural-associated industries, and institutions involved in regulating the production aspects, using a semi-structured questionnaire in which the method of the AHP hierarchical analysis process is applied to a stakeholders focus groups. Obtained results showed that economic motivations receive the greatest importance for the adoption of innovation (43.2%), followed by environmental (32.4%) and social (24.4%). Being the reduction of costs one of the most important factors in the adoption of innovations (10%). Respect for environmental motivations that that innovation reduces the amount of slurry and manure is the main motivator of adoption (6.57%). The results of preferences on different reasons for adoption can help policymakers design specific measures and tools to help livestock producers address environmental challenges and increase their business opportunities.
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