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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of climate variability, and dairy farmer adaptations in Corangamite Shire, Victoria, Australia
AU - Elgin-Stuczynski, Iain R.
AU - Batterbury, Simon
N1 - This article is (c)2014 Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
PY - 2014/2/1
Y1 - 2014/2/1
N2 - Purpose: The article surveys dairy farmers’ lay knowledge of climate change and theadaptation strategies they have implemented to respond to climatic and economicdrivers. Dairy farming is highly dependent on climate. The case study is in WesternVictoria, Australia, part of a major dairy farming region that contributes 26% ofnational milk production and 86% of the country’s dairy exports.Design: This study utilised a survey and semi-structured interviews in Corangamite Shire, to document dairy farmers’ perceptions of climate change and the adaptation strategies they have implemented, compared to meteorological data on past climate variability. Findings: Farmers in this region perceive a change in rainfall and temperature broadly in line with meteorological records. Those that have experienced a greater degree of climate vulnerability were found to perceive it more accurately. Almost all respondents had already made changes to their dairy businesses, but in doing so only a small percentage were responding directly to seasonal variability or longer term changes (9% and 15% respectively); the majority said they were responding to changing economic conditions in the industry. Originality/value: A primary survey of dairy farming adds to knowledge of how climate changes are perceived, and how they are adapted to in a region heavily reliant on rainfall for its prime economic activity.
AB - Purpose: The article surveys dairy farmers’ lay knowledge of climate change and theadaptation strategies they have implemented to respond to climatic and economicdrivers. Dairy farming is highly dependent on climate. The case study is in WesternVictoria, Australia, part of a major dairy farming region that contributes 26% ofnational milk production and 86% of the country’s dairy exports.Design: This study utilised a survey and semi-structured interviews in Corangamite Shire, to document dairy farmers’ perceptions of climate change and the adaptation strategies they have implemented, compared to meteorological data on past climate variability. Findings: Farmers in this region perceive a change in rainfall and temperature broadly in line with meteorological records. Those that have experienced a greater degree of climate vulnerability were found to perceive it more accurately. Almost all respondents had already made changes to their dairy businesses, but in doing so only a small percentage were responding directly to seasonal variability or longer term changes (9% and 15% respectively); the majority said they were responding to changing economic conditions in the industry. Originality/value: A primary survey of dairy farming adds to knowledge of how climate changes are perceived, and how they are adapted to in a region heavily reliant on rainfall for its prime economic activity.
U2 - 10.1108/IJCCSM-03-2013-0039
DO - 10.1108/IJCCSM-03-2013-0039
M3 - Journal article
VL - 6
SP - 85
EP - 107
JO - International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management
JF - International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management
IS - 1
ER -