Percepción del cambio climático de los agricultores andaluces

Andalusian agriculture, due to its geographical location, is particularly vulnerable to climate change (CC). As the agricultural sector is particularly strategic in Andalusia, it is of vital importance that it is able to undertake the adaptation and mitigation actions required by the climate challenge. The scientific literature in this field shows that farmers who are more aware of the occurrence of CC tend to be more likely to make changes in their cropping systems to adapt to the new climatic conditions. However, there was no specific analysis on the perception of CC by Andalusian farmers. The research carried out has filled this gap, contributing to the analysis of the resilience and vulnerability of the Andalusian agricultural sector to the CC challenge. The objectives were: 1) to determine the degree of perception of CC, as well as the willingness of Andalusian farmers to adopt adaptation strategies, and 2) to determine the factors affecting the perception of CC risks. More than 1000 surveys have been carried out among Andalusian farmers, with a significant sample from each of the following sectors: olive groves, livestock, vineyards, POP crops (cereals, oilseeds and protein crops), crops under plastic and fruit and vegetables. The results allow both a general overview and to discriminate the particularities of each of these sectors. In turn, the results have been presented and discussed in 6 focus groups with representatives of each of these sectors. The main results are that the perception of the occurrence of CC is evident among the Andalusian farming community. The main predictors of the willingness to adapt to CC are the belief in its occurrence, the farmer's values related to sustainability and the perception of the risks associated with CC. Other predictors are having experienced adverse CC-related events in recent years, the likelihood of generational replacement, the share of farm income in total income, the size and technological level of farms and the use of new technologies by the farm owner. The willingness to adopt adaptation measures and the main barriers to doing so have also been identified. These results can help in the formulation of policies that contribute to greater adaptation and resilience of Andalusian agriculture to CC.