Centering Farmer Perspectives In Agricultural Policy Reform: Navigating Uncertainty and Building Climate Resilience

Background and purpose:

Tackling the climate crisis is crucial for the well-being of current and future generations. Addressing this challenge requires cross-sector collaboration and centering the voices of those disproportionately impacted. Farmers, often left out of climate justice discussions, are both vulnerable to climate-related disruptions and essential to mitigation efforts. US agriculture significantly contributes to climate change, yet systemic factors complicate transitions to sustainable practices.

Methods:

This study uses a participatory, systems-based approach to examine how entrenched agricultural systems, including social and market structures, constrain farmers' capacity to respond to the climate crisis. Drawing from policy analysis and qualitative interviews with farmers and mental health providers, findings show that the current economic landscape and federally-funded insurance programs often disincentivize conservation, pressuring farmers to prioritize short-term survival over long-term sustainability.

Results:

Participants also described navigating multiple uncertainties, including environmental variability, economic pressures, and the long-term viability of their land and livelihoods. These concerns were often expressed through discussions of responsibility to future generations, stewardship of the land, and fear of losing family farms, rather than through explicit climate terminology. While farmers are eager to participate in conservation efforts due to deep emotional, spiritual, and intergenerational ties to the land, they also expressed frustration at being excluded from broader climate conversations. Additionally, the current agricultural system’s emphasis on unfettered production fosters fragmentation within rural communities, deepening isolation and undermining collective efforts toward climate resilience.

Conclusionand Implications: Given agriculture’s substantial role in climate change, policy reforms that support sustainable practices are critical. Centering farmers’ voices in these efforts can help bridge partisan divides and enhance climate resilience, ensuring that adaptation and mitigation efforts align with both environmental sustainability goals and farmers’ lived realities.