Publication: An Analysis of Crop Choice : Adapting to Climate Change in Latin American Farms
Date
2007-03
ISSN
Published
2007-03
Author(s)
Seo, Niggol
Mendelsohn, Robert
Abstract
The authors explore how Latin American
farmers adapt to climate by changing crops. They develop a
multinomial choice model of farmer's choice of crops.
Estimating the model across over 2,000 farmers in seven
countries, they find that both temperature and precipitation
affects the crops that Latin American farmers choose.
Farmers choose fruits and vegetables in warmer locations and
wheat and potatoes in cooler locations. Farms in wetter
locations are more likely to grow rice, fruits, and squash,
and in dryer locations maize and potatoes. Global warming
will cause Latin American farmers to switch away from wheat
and potatoes toward fruits and vegetables. Predictions of
the impact of climate change must reflect not only changes
in yields or net revenues per crop but also crop switching.
Citation
“Seo, Niggol; Mendelsohn, Robert. 2007. An Analysis of Crop Choice : Adapting to Climate Change in Latin American Farms. Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4162. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/fd76c57d-20a7-555b-9ede-8da5ab1d88f7 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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