FACTORS INFLUENCING SMALLHOLDER CROP FARMERS’ AWARENESS AND ADAPTATION MEASURES ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN MOPANI DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY IN THE LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

Farmers are aware of challenges brought by climate change yet struggle with adaptation measures due to a lack of resources such as early warning systems, ecosystem restoration, climateresilient infrastructure, and water supply. This study, undertaken to assess smallholder crop farmers' awareness of, and adaptation to, the impacts of climate change, was conducted in the three local municipalities of Mopani district in the Limpopo Province, South Africa: Giyani, Letaba and Maruleng. The proportionate sampling technique was used to obtain the study sample size of 291 farmers. A Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 was used to analyze data, along with descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model. The results indicated that 100% of smallholder crop farmers were aware of climate change but struggled to implement adaptation measures. The binary logistic regression results revealed that the variables gender, farm size and change of weather had a significant influence on farmers' adaptation measures. Ninety per cent of smallholder crop farmers were aware of, and implemented, climate change adaptation measures. The study recommends a heightened focus on improving the level of farmers' efforts to adapt, to mitigate the effects of climate change in the study area.