Climate change awareness is associated with enhanced adaptive capacity

Marshall, Nadine; Park, S.; Howden, Mark; Dowd, Anne-Maree; Jakku, Emma

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2013.01.003

Cited by 88 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Farm workforce strategies are therefore a central part of the farm owners' adaptive capacity (Marshall et al 2013), although not always considered as part of strategic actions (Schuler 1992). Flexibility is considered a key aspect of adaptive capacity, and in this study workforce strategies are related to both operational flexibility (i.e.…”

Section: Social Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is significant for scientists' understanding of farm adaptability. To date, flexibility and its relationship to 'high adaptability' have been largely considered a positive and desirable attribute of farming systems (Nelson et al 2010;Marshall et al 2013). The tension between the organisational value of flexibility (e.g.…”

Section: Human Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adaptability has been described as a 'decision-making process and the set of actions undertaken to maintain the capacity to deal with current or future predicted change' (Nelson et al 2007, p. 396). It includes the ability of people to mobilise resources; the management of risk and uncertainty; skills in planning, learning and reorganising; financial and emotional flexibility; and an interest in adapting (Marshall et al 2013). Studies of farmer adaptability often focus on the farm owner/decisionmaker and the production systems and sub-systems changes they implement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new framework to analyse workforce contribution to Australian cotton farm adaptability

Nettle

Kuehne

Lee

et al. 2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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Farmers face many challenges, including climate variability, that require continual adaptation. However, studies of farm adaptation have paid limited attention to the farm workforce, despite changes in farm workforce organisation (i.e. the number, type and forms of employment on farm) being a significant feature of agricultural change globally. To effectively support farmers' adaptation, it is important to understand farmers' workforce strategies (i.e. how farm workforce organisation supports the needs and priorities of the farm), how workforce choices are made and the implications for adaptation. This paper progresses a framework for analysing farm adaptability, including the farm workforce. Bringing together theories of livelihoods analysis and strategic human resource management, the farm workforce strategies of 16 case study farms in the Australian cotton production sector are analysed. Cotton production is exposed to major resource constraints, such as irrigation water. We interviewed farmers and collected data on farm business performance, workforce organisation choices, human resource management practices and employees' experiences of work. We integrated data to characterise farm workforce decision-making and the relationship between workforce strategies and farm adaptability for each farm. A cross-case analysis explored differences between farms. A diversity of workforce strategies was found, involving combinations of workforce options, defined as 'core', 'contract' and 'casual' workers at different levels of skills and experience. Farm workforce strategies were found to influence and be influenced by sources of financial capital, irrigation water availability/holdings, farm remoteness, new farm infrastructure and human resource management practices. The farm workforce was a response option to provide production flexibility, yet high adaptability was associated with some negative consequences for managers and employees. We show for the first time the influence of farm workforce organisation dynamics in adaptation and negative consequences of high farm adaptability. 'Factoring-in' the farm workforce in sustainable development studies should therefore be a priority.

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Section: Social Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Human Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new framework to analyse workforce contribution to Australian cotton farm adaptability

Nettle

Kuehne

Lee

et al. 2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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“…Existing adaptation research has suggested that successful adaptation requires knowledge of climate change impacts and adaptation options (Marshall et al 2013). Such conclusions may be poorly suited to the household scale.…”

Section: Implication 2: Knowledge May Not Be Necessary For Household mentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-thinking climate change adaptation and capacities at the household scale

2015

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“…Ultimately, this results in an incomplete picture of household adaptive capacity that reveals little about where interventions to enhance capacity can be made. For example, although enhancing the knowledge of households about climate risk is often considered to enhance adaptive capacity (Marshall et al 2013), without understanding the pathways by which households receive such knowledge (e.g., roles of other actors) as well as how such knowledge is used in decision making, it may be difficult to translate knowledge into capacity. Furthermore, investments made in enhancing the capacity of households may result in trade-offs or opportunity costs that may go unrecognized if households are considered in isolation.…”

Section: Influences On Adaptive Capacitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a new conceptualization of household adaptive capacity to climate change: applying a risk governance lens

Elrick-Barr

Preston

Thomsen

et al. 2014

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Increasing evidence highlights the importance of context-specific understanding of the impacts of climate change and the need to move beyond generalized assumptions regarding the nature and utility of adaptive capacity in facilitating adaptation. The household level of impact and response is an under-researched context, despite influential decisions affecting local and system vulnerability being made at this scale. Assessments of household adaptive capacity currently assess the influences of adaptive capacity or the influences on adaptive capacity in isolation. We argue that comprehensive assessments need to examine these influences in combination to capture a dynamic and integrated view of households that better reflects their positioning and role(s) in broader socialpolitical contexts. To transition assessments away from examining households as discrete units to recognizing their role within a larger governance context, we outline four themes focused on: (1) analysis of governance contexts, (2) determination of adaptive capacity sources, (3) assessment of cross-scalar trade-offs, and (4) integrated goal setting to facilitate boundary critiques. By considering these themes, the relationships between capacities and actions are highlighted, and the simultaneous outcomes of adaptive choices at individual and broader system scales can be evaluated. We argue that such boundary critique has the potential to yield a more comprehensive assessment of adaptive capacity focused upon cross-scalar influences and impacts.

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Climate change awareness is associated with enhanced adaptive capacity

Cited by 88 publications

References 43 publications

A new framework to analyse workforce contribution to Australian cotton farm adaptability

A new framework to analyse workforce contribution to Australian cotton farm adaptability

Re-thinking climate change adaptation and capacities at the household scale

Toward a new conceptualization of household adaptive capacity to climate change: applying a risk governance lens

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