Study shows Iowa farmers are taking adaptive and maladaptive actions to climate change
Iowa is a major producer of grain, meat, dairy, eggs and other major agricultural commodities. The state’s agriculture has also been increasingly impacted by climate change-related extreme weather over the last decade as droughts, extreme rains, floods, and most recently, a severe derecho have damaged crops, livestock and livelihoods.
A new study from researchers at Iowa State University and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, published in Frontiers in Climate, examines how farmers are responding to the increasing threats that weather extremes and related harms such as pests and disease represent.
Climate and agricultural scientists and other stakeholders are concerned that without major shifts away from degrading practices toward regenerative systems, long-term sustainability will be compromised.