"Assessing the Needs and Adaptation Practices of Small-Holding and Minority Farmers Facing Extreme Weather Events in Louisiana" - Led by G&A Faculty Sarah Franzen

Project Summary:

This project will focus on small-holding and socially disadvantaged farmers in Louisiana to better 1) understand their climate observations, concerns, and current adaptive practices, 2) learn what climate information and extension support they are looking for and 3) develop communication pathways and outputs with Louisiana climate scientists and extension agents to help address these concerns. Using an interdisciplinary approach grounded in anthropology, this project builds on past studies that demonstrate anthropology’s critical role in understanding farmers’ decision-making and adaptation processes to extreme weather events and adds analyses from climatology and agricultural economics to create applicable outcomes for stakeholders. The key stakeholders in this project (small-holding and socially disadvantaged farmers in Louisiana) have indicated the need for better support and information to help with shifting wet and dry periods as well as floods and ice storms which have been impacting their regular planting and harvesting cycles. This project will include stakeholders and representative community organizations as co-producers in order to design outputs that specifically address their needs and fit their communicative styles.