April 2014: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has published a discussion paper, titled ‘Farmers’ Preferences for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA): An Assessment in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP).’ The paper discusses the findings of a study on farmers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for climate-smart technologies in the IGP, a region that is highly vulnerable to climate change.

Climate change is predicted to adversely affect IGP’s food security and the sustainability of its rice-wheat production system. The study analyzed farmers’ preferences for climate-smart technologies, which aim to increase agriculture resilience and stability, increase crop resilience to droughts, floods, and heat and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per ton of farm produce.

The study assessed farmers’ choices among five types of technology: water-smart; energy-smart; nutrient-smart; weather-smart; and introduction of stress tolerant crops and diversification. Farmers in both Eastern and Western IGP expressed high to medium preferences for laser land leveling (LLL) and green manure and expressed low preference for drought-tolerant varieties. Farmers in Eastern IGP also expressed preferences for crop insurance, weather advisory services and zero tillage. Western IGP farmers preferred direct seeding, zero tillage, irrigation scheduling and crop insurance.

The paper cautions that large-scale adoption of farmers’ preferred climate-smart technologies will require both capacity building and funding. It discusses conditions for the adoption of climate-smart technologies, including: providing incentives for technology adoption through institutional arrangements; minimizing risk and uncertainty; strengthening institutional capacity for dissemination of technology; providing accurate information on costs and benefits; instituting custom hiring services; and paying farmers for providing environmental services. [Publication: Farmers’ Preferences for Climate-Smart Agriculture: An Assessment in the Indo-Gangetic Plain]