The competencies demonstrated by farmers while adapting to climate change

• Published in: International research in geographical and environmental education Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 247 - 259
• Main Authors: Pruneau, Diane, Kerry, Jackie, Mallet, Marie-Andrée, Freiman, Viktor, Langis, Joanne, Laroche, Anne-Marie, Evichnevetski, Evgueni, Deguire, Paul, Therrien, Jimmy, Lang, Mathieu, Barbier, Pierre-Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.08.2012; Routledge
• Subjects: Achievement; adaptation to climate change; Adjustment (To environment); Adult education; Adult farmer education; Agricultural Occupations; Agricultural Skills; Canada; Case Studies; Citizenship; Climate; Climate change; Community Attitudes; Competence; Competencies; Cooperation; Critical Thinking; Decision Making; Environmental Education; Farm management; Farmers; Foreign Countries; Innovation; Long Range Planning; Persistence; Personality traits; Prediction; Risk; Self Efficacy; Workshops; Canada
• ISSN: 1038-2046; 1747-7611
• DOI: 10.1080/10382046.2012.698085

World population growth, overconsumption of resources, competition among countries and climate change are putting significant pressure on agriculture. In Canada, changes in precipitation, the appearance of new pests and poor soil quality are threatening the prosperity of small farmers. What human competencies could facilitate citizens' adaptation to climate change? The competencies displayed by six Canadian farmers were observed as they tried to improve the quality of their soil in order to increase its climate resilience. The farmers in the case study demonstrated a wide array of skills while adapting to climate change. Used to adjusting their farming practices to bad weather, the participants predicted that their already declining soil was very vulnerable to extreme events. They implemented some adaptations: planting forage radish and practicing more crop rotations. During the adaptation process, the farmers showed in-depth local and agricultural knowledge, critical thinking (which they used to assess the solutions), futures thinking and hindsight, identification and control of the variables affecting the crops, openness to novelty, collaboration, optimism and self-efficacy. The research, which results in the identification of competencies conducive to adaptation, leads to the recommendation of a few educational strategies to strengthen adaptive competencies when supporting citizens in a climate change adaptation process.