Techno-Optimism and Farmers’ Attitudes Toward Climate Change Adaptation

Abstract

In industrialized societies, techno-optimism is a belief that human ingenuity, through improved science and technology, will ultimately provide remedies to most current and future threats to human well-being, such as diseases, climate change, and poverty. Here we examine (a) whether techno-optimism is found among Midwestern corn and soybean farmers and (b) how this confidence in human ingenuity influences their support for climate change adaptation. By examining data from a survey of nearly 5,000 grain farmers in the Midwestern United States, we found that greater techno-optimism can reduce farmers' support for climate change adaptation and increase their propensity to express a preference to delay adaptation-related actions. This study advances our understanding of how social and cognitive factors influence farmers' attitude toward climate change. Findings from this study can also help extension educators to develop outreach programs that are sensitive to farmers' views about the ability of science and technology to solve climate change-related issues.

Farmers and Ranchers in North Dakota Value Their Land in Not Only Economic Terms

“…Such findings reinforce previous conclusions that social and cognitive factors play a critical role in whether or not agricultural producers make environmentally sound decisions (Gardezi & Arbuckle, 2018) or participate in conservation programs. However, most examinations of farmer-environment interaction focus on economic motivations and agricultural policies and practices; few have studied the psychological factors that may influence farmer behavior (Borges & Oude Lansink, 2016;Hansson, Ferguson, & Olofsson, 2012).…”

“…Finally, although the participants noted the importance of science-mindedness and scientific methods in their agricultural practices, they had mixed attitudes regarding climate change. It may be necessary to promote more scientific information and education regarding climate change from a nonpoliticized perspective, focusing on the ability to use technology to support, rather than replace (Gardezi & Arbuckle, 2018), conservation adaptation strategies.…”

“…However, they tend to be opposed to the notion that the climate can be affected by their practices (Arbuckle et al, 2013; or negatively affect their productivity (Rejesus, Mutuc-Hensley, Mitchell, Coble, & Knight, 2013). Further, agricultural producers who are optimistic about the potential for technology or human ability to reduce the impact of climate change are also less likely to engage in conservation adaption practices (Gardezi & Arbuckle, 2018).…”

Farmer adaptation to reduced groundwater availability

“…This literature has demonstrated how risk perception, belief in climate change, attitudes about technology and available adaptation practices, and path-dependencies associated with cropping choices influence farmers' intentions to adapt (e.g. Niles et al 2013, Chatrchyan et al 2017, Running et al 2017, Gardezi and Arbuckle 2018, Lane et al 2018, Roesch-McNally et al 2018. But more empirical research documenting how US farmers are impacted by and adapt to climate and other forms of social-ecological change (such as Carlton et al (2016)) is important if the goal is to create future policies that are synergistic with existing formal and informal agricultural institutions (Agrawal 2010, Engle and Lemos 2010, Burnham and Ma 2016.…”

The Influence of Objective and Perceived Adaptive Capacity on Midwestern Farmers’ Use of Cover Crops

“…Previous research has often framed the likelihood that actors will make necessary changes in response to climate change as a function of objective capacity or material resources, such as access to finances, technology, knowledge, and infrastructure (IPCC 2007;Yohe and Tol 2002;Engle and Lemos 2010). Other scholarship on human behavior has found subjective attributes of adaptive capacity to be influential for moderating actors' response to climate change (Gardezi and Arbuckle 2017;Grothmann and Patt 2005;. For example, perceived adaptive capacity (PAC)-defined as the ''extent to which [actors] feel prepared to endure changes and take necessary steps to cope with them'' (Seara et al 2016)is consequential not only for influencing actors' climatic risk perception but also their willingness to act to reduce such risks (Gardezi and Arbuckle 2019;.…”