What information do policy makers need to develop climate adaptation plans for smallholder farmers? The case of Central America and Mexico

This research paper examines whether the availability and accessibility of information related to climate change is a major barrier for policy action on climate change adaptation for smallholder farmers. It also investigates whether scientific information related to climate change is available and used in policy making in Central America and Mexico.

An online survey of 105 decision makers indicated that a lack of scientific and technical information hinders policy makers from developing policies to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. Specific needs include information on the impacts of climate change on water availability for agriculture and the areas that are or will be prone to flooding, droughts or landslides.

Despite high interest in having scientific information guide policy making, many respondents indicated that policy makers rarely use this information in adaptation planning. Technical and scientific information must be published in venues that are readily accessible for policy makers, easy to understand, and written in a format that is policy-relevant. The generation of scientific information that is attuned to the needs of policy makers will greatly enhance the ability of policy makers to develop effective, evidence-based policies for climate change, including the much-needed policies and plans for helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change.

Climatic Change (2017) 141: 107. doi:10.1007/s10584-016-1787-x. This document is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).