Adaptation of Russian agriculture to climatic variability: The role of federal and provincial policies

Published Date
Environmental Science & Policy
February 2017, Vol.68:10–19, doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2016.10.003

Author 

• Nataliya Stupak 

• Humboldt University Berlin, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Division of Resource Economics, Hannoversche Str. 27, D-10115 Berlin, Germany

Received 20 May 2016. Revised 20 October 2016. Accepted 20 October 2016. Available online 1 December 2016. 

Highlights

• •
  Farmers of Tyumen Province experience losses due to climate extremes.
• •
  Agricultural policy does not support producers adaptation to climate change.
• •
  Perception of climate change and climate extremes may induce policy maladaptation.
• •
  Scientists may improve public awareness of climate change and its manifestations.

Abstract

This paper draws on the example of Tyumen Province, a federal subject of the Russian Federation, to explore the role that policies play in hindering agricultural producers’ adaptation to climate change. Its objective is to contribute to a better understanding of maladaptation at the policy level. The discourse analysis method is used to explain perceptions of climate variability in Tyumen Province and its impact on agriculture. The document analysis method is used to assess agricultural policy in Tyumen Province and its implications for producers’ adaptation to climate change. The results suggest that although agricultural producers and policymakers are acutely aware both of climate variability and the resulting loss of agricultural output, provincial agricultural policy generally fails to encourage better adaptation by agricultural producers or to support their greater economic security. Instead, it primarily focuses on meeting food production targets and thus limits the producers’ own independent moves towards adaptation. The phenomenon of maladaptation at the policy level is discussed in consideration of the general public’s and the authorities’ awareness of climate change and climate variability, and the role of science in shaping this awareness.

Keywords

Climate variability

Agriculture

Climate change adaptation

Agricultural policy

Russian Federation

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