As climate change-related extreme weather events continue to accelerate, South Australian farmers face increasingly challenging conditions, with droughts, bushfires and rising temperatures becoming more frequent and severe.
In response to these growing challenges, Flinders University and the South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SA Drought Hub) are embarking on a research project to understand the factors that influence farmers’ decisions to adopt climate-resilient farming practices.
The project, Identifying barriers and enablers to farmer engagement with climate-resilience practices and technologies, aims to:
- identify factors that that hinder or aid the adoption of climate-resilient farming practices
- enhance the quality of advice and resources available to farmers across South Australia
- help farmers develop more sustainable and productive agricultural operations.
A crucial element of the project is a short, confidential (10-minute) farmer survey designed to capture farmers’ views, experiences and suggestions, and gain insights into the strategies they employ to mitigate the impacts of climate change and drought.
Tony Randall, SA Drought Hub Knowledge Broker, emphasises that the survey is designed to gain insights directly from South Australian farmers and ensure that they play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of activities designed to build climate resilience.
“We want to understand farmers’ unique perspectives, experiences and challenges as they strive to adapt to the impacts of climate change,” Mr Randall said.
“By doing so, we can provide more tailored support and guidance that meets the specific needs of primary producers and rural communities across the state and help our farming enterprises thrive in a changing climate.”
Farmers are encouraged to complete the survey, which will provide valuable insights into the challenges they face and the opportunities for building climate resilience. The survey is available at https://qualtrics.flinders.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_cShuwpoSFe26sTk.
The SA Drought Hub encourages the participation of South Australian farmers, whose support is instrumental in ensuring that our state’s agricultural enterprises and communities remain resilient in the face of climate change.
For details on withdrawal rights, confidentiality, privacy and data management, download the project information sheet.
For more information, participants are welcome to contact:
- Chief Investigator Associate Professor Ann-Louise Hordacre at (08) 8201 5083 or annlouise.hordacre@flinders.edu.au
- Co-Investigator Cecilia Moretti at (08) 8201 2365 or cecilia.moretti@flinders.edu.au.
Led by the University of Adelaide in partnership with PIRSA, the SA Drought Hub is one of eight hubs established across Australia through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The hub brings together a dynamic network of primary producers, industry groups, researchers, government agencies, universities, agribusinesses, Traditional Owners and others to strengthen the drought resilience and preparedness of farms and regional communities in South Australia.
Media enquiries
- Adam Barclay, AgCommunicators, 0405 357 468 or adam.barclay@agcommunicators.com
- Tony Randall, SA Drought Hub, 0402 245 747 or tony@agex.org.au
