Response to climate risks among smallholder farmers in Malawi: A multivariate probit assessment of the role of information, household demographics, and farm characteristics

Submitted by Felicity Downes on 4 April 2017

Why do many smallholder farmers fail to adopt what appear to be relatively simple agronomic
or management practices which can help them cope with climate-induced stressors?
Using household and plot level data collected in 2011, we implement a
multivariate probit model to assess the determinants of farmer adaptation behavior to climatic
risks and the relative contribution of information, credit and education on the probability
of adopting specific practices in response to adverse changes in weather patterns.

Climate Change