Farmers Perceptions of Climate Change: Identifying Types

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Farmers’ perceptions of climate change: identifying types

This survey is part of a 3-year PhD project that is trying to understand what farmers think of climate change and environmental issues in general.

The questionnaire is anonymous. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will only be used for the purposes of this research. It should take approximately 20 minutes to complete all the questions.

Please answer all questions. There is no ‘correct’ answer to any of the questions, so please state whatever you feel.

THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING YOUR TIME TO HELP THIS PROJECT

For further information on this project, please contact Mr John Hyland at Bangor University by e-mail: .

Section 1: Demographics

(Please tick/fill in appropriate box)

1.1Are you a full time/part time commercial farmer?

Full Time / Part Time

1.2Gender:

Male / Female

1.3Your age:

18-25 / 56-65
26-35 / >66
36-45
46-55

1.5 What is the highest level of education that you have received?

Primary School / HNC/ HND
GCSE’s/O-Levels / University undergraduate degree or higher
A-Levels/NVQ

1.6 How many acres/hectares do you farm?

<100 acres (<40.47ha) / 301-500 acres (121.81ha – 202.34ha)
101-300 acres (40.5ha-121.41ha) / >501 acres (>202.753ha)

1.7 What sector of the livestock industry do you represent?

Beef only
Sheep only
Mixed (cattle and sheep)

1.8 How many years have you been farming?

0-10 years / 21-30 years
11-20 years / >31

Section 2: Perceptions

(Please tick the box corresponding to your opinion on the following statements. Options include strongly agree, agree, unsure, disagree or strongly disagree)

(Please note that there are no right or wrong answers in this section, only your opinion)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Unsure

Agree

Strongly agree

Q1 Climate change is an important global issue.
Q2 When making decisions I take the environment into consideration even if it lowers profit.
Q3 It is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from my farm without lowering production levels.
Q4 Other industries pollute more than livestock farmers and should therefore be penalised more.
Q5 Livestock farmers should share responsibility towards the industry’s impact on climate change.
Q6 Environmental regulations are important for the future of farming.
Q7 The government should financially support farmers in adapting to climate change.
Q8 The government should encourage food production in the UK to reduce reliance on imports.
Q9 Being seen primarily as a food producer is important to me.
Q10 I accept that man-made climate change is happening.
Q11 Livestock farming contributes to climate change.
Q12 Climate change will affect farming in Wales over the next 10 years.
Q13 Climate change poses more opportunities than challenges for farmers.
Q14 Climate change will lead to lower productivity on my farm due to disease and pests.
Q15 Climate change poses more of a threat to farming in the next 10 years than that of a general recession.
Q16 Any climate change reduction strategies must make economic sense to the individual farmer.
Q17 Beef or lamb produced with low emissions should be sold at a higher price.
Q18 The best climate change mitigation strategies are too costly for farmers to adopt.
Q19 Farmers should be allowed to maximise production, whatever the environmental cost.

(Please tick the box corresponding to your opinion on the following statements. Options include strongly agree, agree, unsure, disagree or strongly disagree)

(Please note that there are no right or wrong answers in this section, only your opinion)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Unsure

Agree

Strongly agree

Q20: Uncertainty due to variable weather patterns caused by climate change will negatively influence my ability to farm successfully.
Q21 Climate change is a global problem; whatever changes I carry out on my farm is of little value.
Q22 I want to farm as environmentally friendly as possible
Q23 I am interested in trying different technologies and/or systems to reduce my farm’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Q24 The way farming colleagues think about my farm is important to me.
Q25 Others in my family think that I should farm as environmentally friendly as possible.
Q26 Switching to more environmentally friendly farming methods would not involve much change from my current operation.
Q27 I plan to actively reduce my farm’s greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact over the next 10 years.
Q28 I find information on climate change easy to understand.
Q29 As a farmer I have an obligation to maintain or improve the environment for future generations.

Section 3: Further questions

(Please note that there are no right or wrong answers in this section, only your opinion)

3.1What is the main benefit you think that climate change may bring to your farm?

(Please circle one option)

a. No opportunities / g. Increased biodiversity
b. Longer growing season / h. Diversification
c. Producing energy / i. Carbon capture and storage
d. New markets / j. Better conditions for livestock
e. Better prices per for produce / k. Other
f. Reduced costs / l. Don’t know

3.2 What is the main risk you think that climatechange may bring to your farm?

(Please circle one option)

a. No risks / g. Animal husbandry issues (e.g. heat stress, disease)
b. Unpredictable/extreme weather / h. Nutrient loss through run-off
c. Lower price for produce / i. Soil erosion
d. Increased costs / j. Price/profit volatility
e. Crop failure/reduced yields / k. Other
f. Increased taxes/regulation / l. Don’t know

3.3 How would you describe the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each of the following on your farm?

(For each of the options indicate if you think your farm emits greenhouse gases, stores greenhouse gases or it is neutral by ticking the appropriate box)

Emits

Neutral

Stores

Livestock andtheir waste
Energy usage on-farm
Fertiliser use
Crops and pasture
Soils
Farm forest and vegetation

3.4What is the main medium where you get information on climate change?

(Please circle one option)

a. Levy board / f. Press
b. Farming unions / g. Open days/Industry events
c. Government / h. Internet
d. TV/Radio / i. Energy companies
e. Farming Connect / j. Other

3.5Of the following environmental issues, which do you see as being most important facing society in the future?

(Assign numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to the options in the box below)

(1 being the least risk to society, 6 being the greatest)

Rank 1 to 6

Energysupply
Water quality
Climate change
Air pollution
Waste management
Food security

PLEASE TURN OVER TO THE LAST PAGE

3.6Please indicate whether you think each of the following is a cause of climate change:

Major cause / Minor cause / Not a cause at all
Pollution from other industries (not including agriculture)
Pollution from car use
Pollution from fossil fuel-burning power stations
Destruction of tropical rainforests
Manufacturing and use of fertilisers
Methane from cows/sheep

THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE