Overview
An exploratory study of climate change adaptation decision-making by Victorian fruit growers.
Project Summary
Temperate tree fruits are an important agricultural industry for Victoria and are particularly susceptible to a range of potential climate change impacts. It is critical that we understand fruit growers’ decision contexts (e.g. the information and advice networks they use and the criteria that guide their decision-making) if the climate change impacts and management options identified by horticultural scientists are to be translated into practical and beneficial advice, services and products for growers.
This project will build on an exploratory research exercise carried out with 6 horticultural scientists and one apple grower who were part of the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre Project “Adaptation tipping points for fruit trees”. [Link to the project under Past project below]. This work identified two features of growers’ decision-making processes that may be critical to achieving effective climate change adaptation in Victorian orchards, and which require further investigation:
- There can be beneficial two-way exchange of knowledge between growers and researchers that assists the learning of both;
- The point at which an orchardist redevelops an orchard block is a critical decision-making point for climate change adaptation.
These findings will be validated and refined by carrying out further in-depth interviews with Victorian orchardists.
Project Duration
June – December 2016
Research Group Leader/Key contact
Michael Santhanam-Martin
Contact details
Michael Santhanam-Martin
mpmartin@unimelb.edu.au
Partnership details
Richard Nicholas Trust
Publications
Santhanam-Martin, M, Understanding Apple and Pear Growers' Climate Change Adaptation Decision-Making, 2017, pp. 1 - 25
Santhanam-Martin, M; Darbyshire, R, Milestone Report 5.7 Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation in the Australian Tree Fruit Industry, PICC Project 440: Crossing the threshold: adaptation tipping points for Australian fruit trees, 2015, pp. 1 - 30