Over 70% Farmers Already Seen Large Impacts Of Climate Change On Their Farms: Data
A new survey by Bayer revealed that 71 per cent of farmers around the world said that climate change is already having a large impact on their farms and 73 per cent have experienced increasing pest and disease pressure.
On average, farmers estimate that their incomes have decreased by 15.7 per cent due to climate change in the past two years.
The survey also found that economic challenges are compounding the pressure on farmers, with fertilizer costs, energy costs, and price and income volatility among the top three concerns. Despite the challenges, farmers are taking steps to mitigate climate change and value innovation.
More than 80 per cent of surveyed farmers are already taking or planning to take steps to directly apply measures to reduce greenhouse gases, such as using cover crops, renewable energy, and innovative seeds.
Farmers are also focused on improving biodiversity and efficient land use. Over half (54 per cent) said they already applied measures to protect insects, such as insect hotels, or plan to do so in the next three years. In India, smallholder farmers are particularly focused on mitigating risk and improving financial security through insurance and infrastructure. They are also interested in accessing digital technologies and modern crop protection.
Overall, the survey results showed that farmers are facing significant challenges, but they are also resilient and committed to finding solutions.
According to the report, in India, smallholder farmers say high labour and fertiliser costs are their biggest challenges. They are also focused on mitigating risks and prioritising financial security through insurance and infrastructure.
60 per cent of Indian smallholder farmers said they would benefit most from access to digital technologies and modern crop protection.
