Knowledge and perception of farmers regarding climate change impacts on crop production

Abstract:

Average temperatures in Brandenburg have risen by 1.4 °C since 1980, and the frequency of summer droughts has doubled over the same period—yet it remains unclear how much local farmers actually understand about these shifts and whether their knowledge translates into adaptive action. This research assessed the climate change knowledge, risk perception, and adaptation practices of 240 crop farmers in the Brandenburg region of Germany through a structured questionnaire survey conducted between April and July 2023. Respondents were selected using stratified random sampling across three farm-size categories. The mean knowledge score was 58.6 percent, with younger farmers (<40 years) scoring 12.3 percentage points higher than older farmers (>60 years). A total of 73.8 percent of respondents perceived climate change as a serious threat to crop production, but only 41.7 percent had adopted three or more adaptation practices. Knowledge score was positively correlated with adaptation practice adoption (r = 0.73, p<0.01). Extension contact frequency was the strongest predictor of both knowledge (β = 0.42) and adaptation (β = 0.38) in multiple regression models. Education level and farm size were also significant predictors. These findings suggest that intensifying extension outreach—particularly targeting older farmers and smaller holdings—could accelerate climate adaptation in Brandenburg's agricultural sector