3 Religious and Cultural-Spiritual Attributions of Climate-Driven …
49
(Ghauri and Qureshi 1999). According to Phondani et al. (2020), the willingness
to adopt new ideas is influenced by characteristics such as the education, age, and
income. The analysis of farmers’ perceptions in this study reflects a similar pattern.
Impacts Observed by the Farmers on Their Food Crop
Production
Farmers recalled that crops affected by climatic and non-climatic stressors (Table
3.1) over the last thirty years include taro (Colocasia esculenta), sweet potato
(Ipomoea batatas), yam (Dioscorea alata) and lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta),
cassava (Monihot esculenta), giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhiza), giant swamp
taro (Cyrtosperma chamissonis), Hong Kong taro (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), and
vegetables (Fig. 3.2). The impacts observed include tuber damage or rot, pest infestation and disease, wilting, more vine growth instead of tuber growth, loss of seedlings,
small tuber sizes at harvest, and loss of taste. Sweet potato, one of the most important crops grown by the farmers, grows more vigorously during the rainy season but
produces fewer tubers. Farmers’ observations were similar to the results of previous
research in the region by Iese et al. (2015, 2020) and Maeke (2013). Loss of traditional
crop varieties was also highlighted as a problem. Crop varieties that were planted
in the past are now difficult to find because farmers prefer early yielding varieties.
These problems affected crop production and reduced incomes, as exemplified by
the following statement:
It affects my livelihood. I don’t have enough food to eat and to sell in the market. (Malu’u,
age 61)
Elderly farmers tend to have more historical knowledge of weather patterns giving
them a better perspective on climate-related extreme events despite their lack of
scientific understanding of climate change. For example,
I think the negative impacts on my garden are natural. Because of no proper knowledge
except our traditional knowledge passed on from our forefathers: like the planting times and
which crops are suitable for different weather conditions like rainy and dry seasons so that it
won’t be affected. However, this is now challenging because the weather is changing. This
month it should rain, it still is dry. It is very hot and our plants are dying so we are not sure
what to plant because the weather is now confusing and changing. (Sikwafata, age 76)
Similar conclusions have been reached in comparable contexts in the PICs and beyond
(Garay-Barayazarra and Puri 2011; Korovulavula et al. 2019; Lefale 2010). Although
farmers in this study could not quantify crops harvested and sold, climate change
may have affected crop production and contributed to the reduction of the income to
USD2-35 weekly.
Analysis revealed that there was a major shift in farmers’ perception of past
(1988) climate change impacts compared to the future (2050). Economic, internal,
external, and social factors have likely influenced this change in perception as
49
(Ghauri and Qureshi 1999). According to Phondani et al. (2020), the willingness
to adopt new ideas is influenced by characteristics such as the education, age, and
income. The analysis of farmers’ perceptions in this study reflects a similar pattern.
Impacts Observed by the Farmers on Their Food Crop
Production
Farmers recalled that crops affected by climatic and non-climatic stressors (Table
3.1) over the last thirty years include taro (Colocasia esculenta), sweet potato
(Ipomoea batatas), yam (Dioscorea alata) and lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta),
cassava (Monihot esculenta), giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhiza), giant swamp
taro (Cyrtosperma chamissonis), Hong Kong taro (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), and
vegetables (Fig. 3.2). The impacts observed include tuber damage or rot, pest infestation and disease, wilting, more vine growth instead of tuber growth, loss of seedlings,
small tuber sizes at harvest, and loss of taste. Sweet potato, one of the most important crops grown by the farmers, grows more vigorously during the rainy season but
produces fewer tubers. Farmers’ observations were similar to the results of previous
research in the region by Iese et al. (2015, 2020) and Maeke (2013). Loss of traditional
crop varieties was also highlighted as a problem. Crop varieties that were planted
in the past are now difficult to find because farmers prefer early yielding varieties.
These problems affected crop production and reduced incomes, as exemplified by
the following statement:
It affects my livelihood. I don’t have enough food to eat and to sell in the market. (Malu’u,
age 61)
Elderly farmers tend to have more historical knowledge of weather patterns giving
them a better perspective on climate-related extreme events despite their lack of
scientific understanding of climate change. For example,
I think the negative impacts on my garden are natural. Because of no proper knowledge
except our traditional knowledge passed on from our forefathers: like the planting times and
which crops are suitable for different weather conditions like rainy and dry seasons so that it
won’t be affected. However, this is now challenging because the weather is changing. This
month it should rain, it still is dry. It is very hot and our plants are dying so we are not sure
what to plant because the weather is now confusing and changing. (Sikwafata, age 76)
Similar conclusions have been reached in comparable contexts in the PICs and beyond
(Garay-Barayazarra and Puri 2011; Korovulavula et al. 2019; Lefale 2010). Although
farmers in this study could not quantify crops harvested and sold, climate change
may have affected crop production and contributed to the reduction of the income to
USD2-35 weekly.
Analysis revealed that there was a major shift in farmers’ perception of past
(1988) climate change impacts compared to the future (2050). Economic, internal,
external, and social factors have likely influenced this change in perception as