Donkor Addai

The economics of technological innovation for adaptation to climate change by broadacre farmers in Western Australia project summary

Scientists have pointed out that climate change is unavoidable, to some extent. They have also acknowledged that agriculture is among the most vulnerable sectors at risk to the impacts of climate change. As a result, farmers need flexible and resilient agricultural systems to cope with a range of possible climate change scenarios. Adaptation is therefore an important component of any policy response to climate change. However, there are as yet relatively few studies that assess the likely effectiveness and economic performance of possible response strategies. This research will adapt an existing bioeconomic model, named MUDAS, to address the problem.

Donkor’s research falls into the CRC Program 2 research area and is related to the Economic Analysis of Perennials project.

Objectives:

• Determine the likely impact of climate change on agricultural production and profitability with and without climate change adaptation
• Determine the likely impact of climate change mitigation policy on agricultural production and profitability with and without climate change adaptation
• Determine the extent specific technological changes may reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and/or mitigation policy.

For more information, email Donkor.