Adaptation to Climate Change and Technical Efficiency in Paddy Farming: A Case Study in Wayanad and Palakkad Districts, Kerala

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has consistently recognized the anthropogenic nature of climate change and its impact on global systems, particularly agriculture. Recognizing the vulnerability of the agricultural sector, organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have emphasized the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. This study investigates the link between farmers' adaptive capacity, technical efficiency, and overall agricultural sustainability. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the research examines data from 330 paddy farmers in Wayanad and Palakkad, two climate-vulnerable districts in Kerala, India. The findings reveal a strong positive correlation between climate adaptation practices, coping strategies, and the technical efficiency of paddy farming. However, the study also highlights that a lack of comprehensive coping strategies can hinder farmers' ability to effectively address climate change impacts. This underscores the crucial need to integrate both climate adaptation practices and coping strategies into farmlevel planning to enhance the long-term sustainability of agriculture in the face of a changing climate