Reorienting climate decision making research for smallholder farming systems through decision science

Research into the social dimensions of climate decision making has proliferated in recent years. This body of work is informed by principles from decision science and addresses questions around when and why people adopt behaviors in response to climate change. The vast majority of this research is based on studies in relatively wealthier populations that are predominantly from industrialized nations, yet those most impacted by climate change are small-scale farmers in areas that also are experiencing the compounding effects of high rates of poverty. In the following article we look at recent findings from decision science to explore why and how research should be reoriented to provide insight into climate related decision making among smallholder farmers in areas with limited infrastructure and few public services.