Seeing through the opaque glass, darkly: farmers' perception of climate change

Emergent scientific facts about climate change occurrence, increasing intensity and potential damage to the world have made the issue of policy a necessity objective. In spite of global effort, very little data have been collected and therefore very little is known about support or opposition to mitigation or adaptation policies at any level. Although there are claims that support or opposition to proposed climate policies will be greatly influenced by perceived risks, how this evolves for farmers in a developing country is not understood and may be intricately intertwined with individuals' interpretation of practical experience with climate change impacts. Using a checklist, specific issues relating to climate change are covered through focus group discussions. Results of data analysis show widespread awareness of climate change impacts, reasonable ability to describe its occurrence but lack of fair understanding of the causes of climate change. Impact occurrences from experience and historical accounts are identified determinants in farmers' awareness, concern and risk perception of climate change and thus factor in the identification of relevant policies and decision to support them. The responsibility for ensuring policy effectiveness is said to involve the participatory roles of the farmers themselves, government, non-governmental organizations and international agencies.