Crop Diversification in Coping with Extreme Weather Events in China

作     者：HUANG Ji-kun JIANG Jing WANG Jin-xia HOU Ling-ling 

作者机构：Center for Chinese Agricultural PolicyInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 

出 版 物：《Journal of Integrative Agriculture》 (农业科学学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第13卷第4期

页      面：677-686页

核心收录：

学科分类：09[农学] 0903[农学-农业资源与环境] 

基　　金：the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,2012CB955700) the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China(70925001,71161140351) the International Development Research Center(107093-001) the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research(ADP/2010/070) 

主　　题：adaptation extreme weather event climate change crop diversification farmer 

摘      要：Apart from the long-term effects of climate change, the frequency and severity of extreme weather events have been increasing. Given the risks posed by climate change, particularly the changes in extreme weather events, the question of how to adapt to these changes and mitigate their negative impacts has received great attention from policy makers. The overall goals of this study are to examine whether farmers adapt to extreme weather events through crop diversification and which factors influence farmers＇ decisions on crop diversification against extreme weather events in China. To limit the scope of this study, we focus on drought and flood events only. Based on a unique large-scale household survey in nine provinces, this study finds that farmers respond to extreme weather events by increasing crop diversification. Their decision to diversify crops is significantly influenced by their experiences of extreme weather events in the previous year. Such results are understandable because farmers＇ behaviors are normally based on their expectations. Moreover, household characteristics also affect farmers＇ decisions on crop diversification strategy, and their effects differ by farmers＇ age and gender. This paper concludes with several policy implications.