Factors influencing climate change adaptation practices and their impacts on food security dimensions in horticultural crops evaluated using PLS-SEM analysis

Saeede Sadat Ebrahimi, Farhad Lashgharara, Seyed Mehdi Mirdamadi, Maryam Omidi Najafabadi

Abstract: This study examined the major effective factors on climate change adaptation practices and investigated their impacts on food security in Qazvin province. The population of this study comprised smallholder horticultural farmers, who produced at least two types of horticultural crops during the period 2014-2017. The study sample consisted of 456 farmers, selected through stratified random sampling. A questionnaire was utilized for data collection, and data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) (Smart-PLS software, version 3.0). The findings showed that the top four climate change adaption practices that can be used by smallholders to improve household food security are (1) using late-flowering and cold tolerant varieties, (2) actively participating in extension training courses, (3) using crop insurance, and (4) covering shrubs and trees with fabric to protect against frost. In addition, the results confirmed that adaptive farming and non-farming practices are positively related to the food security dimensions of food availability, access, stability, and utilization. The findings further showed that farmers’ knowledge and skills, as well as the local infrastructure are drivers for food security dimensions through the application of adaptive farming practices. When farmers intend to use adaptive non-farming practices, their attitudes toward the advantages of the climate change adaptation process may stimulate behavioral readiness toward climate change resilience and, consequently, improve food security.

Keywords: Adaptation practices; Climate change; Household food security; Smallholder horticultural farmers

Date published: 2023-10-23