This article aimed to analyze farmers’ perceptions of climate change in the face of increasing pressure to enhance food production due to global demand and the impacts of climate change.
A typology approach was adopted to investigate the perceptions of grain farmers in Brazil, focusing on the main grain-producing states. The sample consisted of 195 farmers, on whom principal component analysis followed by cluster analysis was applied to create typologies.
We identified four distinct types of farmers: (1) The Environmentalist, with high environmental awareness and less focus on productivism; (2) The Commercial Ecologist, who balances productivism with climate awareness; (3) The Anthropocentric, with an emphasis on anthropocentric perspectives; and (4) The Productivist, prioritizing production but with lower climate awareness. Each group presents different levels of environmental responsibility and awareness of the impacts of climate change.
The limitations of this study include the geographic concentration of participants and the sample size, which may affect the generalizability of the results. However, the implications are significant, suggesting that adaptation strategies to climate change and policy interventions should be differentiated to reflect the diverse perceptions and needs of farmers.
The identification that farmers recognize anthropogenic actions as contributors to climate change but do not necessarily see rural activities as primary causes indicates the need for a change in social perception. Increasing awareness of how agricultural practices impact the environment can lead to greater environmental and social responsibility.
This study contributes to the literature by providing a detailed view of farmers’ perceptions of climate change in the Brazilian context. It highlights the importance of understanding farmers’ perceptions to create more targeted and effective interventions and policies for food production sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change.
