The determinants of common bean variety selection and diversification in Colombia

Abstract

Variety selection and diversification are climate change adaptation practices pursued by Colombian common bean producers. We investigate the drivers behind common bean variety selection and diversification in one of the most important common bean production regions in Colombia —Santander. The effects of climate change on this region are expected to be elevation driven. Exploiting the relationship between elevation-driven weather variations and climate change perception in Santander, we estimate an alternative-specific conditional logistic regression model to identify the determinants of common bean variety selection from a survey of producers. Using an ordered-logistic regression model, we also investigate the drivers behind common bean variety diversification within this farming community. We find that farms' elevation, household composition, and seed certification are some of the most important drivers behind farmers' common bean variety selection in Santander. We also find that varieties that sell at higher prices and have shorter vegetative cycles tend to be more preferred by farmers. Finally, farmers who receive more help from family members and own a tractor tend to grow more than one variety in the same production cycle. Common bean breeding programmes can exploit these drivers to design communication strategies to maximize uptake of newly developed common bean phenotypes.

The effect of ENSO on common bean production in Colombia: a time series approach

“…These seeds are being developed by centres such as Centro International de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) or Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA), but they have had a very low uptake in rural areas of Colombia (Botero et al . , 2021 ). A policy option would be to provide financial aid to farmers so they can switch smoothly from traditional varieties to the climate-adapted ones developed by these centres.…”