Drivers of farmers’ adaptive behavior to climate change: The 3F-SEC framework

Abstract

Climate change can have a negative impact on agriculture and lead to significant crop losses and increasing food insecurity. Despite the growing body of research on farmers' adaptive behaviors to climate change, there remains a lack of comprehensive classification of influencing factors. In our systematic literature review comprising 87 articles, we identified 179 distinct drivers, categorized into socio-demographic characteristics, farm attributes, financial resources, situational influences, experiential aspects, and cognitive elements. Notably, cognitive drivers, such as beliefs about climate change consequences, were frequently cited (348 times), along with critical socio-demographic factors like age and education. Drawing from a case study of farmers in central Colombia, we illustrate how these factors interact. Through the lens of four exemplary farmer types, we observe that older farmers were less likely to adapt due to limited exposure to climate emergencies and higher age, whereas for others community relationships drove adaptive behaviors. High-income motivated adaptation, while direct experience with climate disasters increased adaptation willingness. Finally, the framework we have developed highlights the importance of understanding the complex interplay of different factors behind farmers’ adaptation decisions, paving the way for the development of more localized and context-specific climate adaptation strategies.