Farmers' Adaptive Responses to Climate Change: Evidence from the Small-Scale Rubber Sector in Southeast Vietnam

Abstract

There is great need for research on climate change adaptation, especially for agricultural producers, including those involved in natural rubber production. Almost all of the traditional rubber growing areas in the world suffer from climate extremes, which have resulted from climate changes. The intensity of climate changes will vary across these areas, and it is difficult to anticipate exactly how these changes will occur in the future (RRII, 2010). In the meantime, the rubber industry is also highly vulnerable to market uncertainty (Viswanathan, 2008; Wijesuriya et al., 2007). These facts require special attention in formulating adaptation strategies (Wijesuriya & Dissanayake, 2009), and require rubber farmers to adapt (RRII, 2010). Many solutions through technologies and cultivation practices have been developed over time to offset losses caused by the negative effects of climate change on rubber plantations. They exist to improve latex yield and technical efficiency. These solutions are adopted in some regions, but not everywhere (Barlow & Muharminto, 1982). Assessment of the farm-level adoption of adaptation strategies available is crucial in order to provide information for the formulation of related policies (Charles & Rashid, 2007; Smit et al., 2001). There is a gap in farming systems research in developing countries regarding the comprehensive assessment of climate change adaptation at the farm level. The comprehensive approach used in this study, in terms of methods of analysis of climate change, climate variability, their negative impacts on crop performance, perception, vulnerability, adaptation and logical mechanisms of farmer adaptation, is a methodological contribution beyond what has been done in previous studies. Developing and applying a comprehensive analytical framework will allow local decision makers as well as related stakeholders to manage climate change adaptation in farming systems. The main purpose of this study is to investigate farmer households' adaptive responses, their preference patterns for climate change adaptation and the determinants of their adaptive responses. This knowledge is of great interest for designing climate change adaptation schemes; therefore, this research can assist local policy-makers to address the challenges of climate change and variability.