Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the association between smallholder farmer perceptions
toward climate change and adaptation strategies at the household level in Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 284 households mainly using a structured
questionnaire. The Heckman probit selection model was used to first identify the underlying socio-economic
factors that affect households’ recognition of climate change in the past 10 years, and the second model the factors that influence adaptation to the climate change phenomenon.
Findings – The majority of farmers (85 percent) perceived that climate change, characterized by rising
temperatures and variability in rainfall patterns, has been occurring in the past ten years. As a response,
farmers adapted using methods such as manuring and staggering of planting dates. Indigenous knowledge systems and non-governmental organizations increased the likelihood farmers’ recognition of climate change ( p=0.05). The probability of adopting multiple adaptation strategies was influenced by household head’s education level, land tenure and access to public extension services.
Practical implications – Integrative extension methods that take into account socio-cultural values could
be helpful in building resilience as farmers are better able to understand the climate change construct. There is a need to guarantee land tenure rights in resettlement areas to stimulate investment on farms.
Originality/value – This study showed that there is a link between farmers’ prior knowledge of climate
change and the number of adaptive investments. The analysis proposed an educational and extension
approach that is embedded in the socio-cultural and traditional setting of farmers.
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