Sector · Climate
Climate Behavior Change in Agriculture & Resilience
Climate behavior change helps farmers and households adopt practices that protect livelihoods and the environment. We design and test adoption strategies for climate-smart agriculture, clean cooking and early action in Africa.
Why climate action needs behavior change
Technology and finance are vital for climate action, but their impact depends on people. Drought-tolerant seeds help only if farmers plant them. Early warnings save lives only if people act on them. Clean stoves cut smoke only if they are used every day.
Climate behavior change focuses on these human decisions. It asks what makes a new practice feel risky or worthwhile, who people trust for advice, and what support they need to try something new.
Climate-smart agriculture
Farmers make careful decisions with limited room for error. A failed season can be devastating. That's why adoption of new practices is often slow, even when they are promising.
Trust and proof
Demonstration plots, farmer-to-farmer learning and visible early results.
Risk reduction
Starting small, insurance, credit and input packages that lower the cost of trying.
Timely information
Seasonal forecasts and advice delivered by SMS, radio or extension when decisions are made.
Social norms
Farmer groups and respected lead farmers who make new practices normal.
Adaptation, resilience and early action
Climate behavior change also covers how households and communities prepare for and respond to floods, drought and heat. We help programs design early warning communication that people understand and act on, and community engagement that builds local preparedness plans.
Guidance from organizations such as the UN Environment Programme and the behavioral approach of Rare's Center for Behavior & the Environment inform our work.
Clean cooking, energy and natural resources
- Clean cooking adoption and sustained use
- Solar and off-grid energy purchase and maintenance
- Water conservation and catchment protection
- Community forest and rangeland management
- Waste reduction and recycling
For each, we look at what people value, what stops them and how products, payment options and social influence can help.
How an engagement runs
- 01
Define the behaviors
We agree which practices matter most for climate and livelihood outcomes.
- 02
Understand farmers and households
Field research on motives, risks and trusted sources.
- 03
Design support
Messages, demonstrations, nudges and finance options, tested with users.
- 04
Scale with partners
Extension services, cooperatives, agro-dealers and media.
- 05
Measure adoption
Track uptake and continued use across seasons.
Why farmers adopt or reject new practices
Agricultural extension has long assumed that farmers adopt new practices once they understand the benefits. In reality, adoption depends on many factors: whether the practice works on their land, whether they can afford the inputs and labor, whether neighbors approve, and whether the benefit comes quickly enough to justify the risk.
Climate behavior change programs take these factors seriously. We talk with farmers, including women and young farmers who are often overlooked, about what they have tried, what failed and why. We look at labor calendars, market access and land rights, which often determine whether a practice is realistic.
This insight helps programs choose the right practices to promote, adapt them to local conditions and sequence support so farmers can start small and expand as they see results.
Trusted messengers and information
Farmers listen to people they trust and who share their reality. Lead farmers, farmer group chairs, agro-dealers, local radio presenters and, increasingly, mobile advisory services are all important. Climate behavior change works best when these messengers are equipped with clear, practical advice and can show results on their own farms.
Seasonal and weather information is valuable only if it arrives in time, in a language people understand, with a clear suggestion of what to do. We help programs design climate information services and early warning messages that are tested with users and linked to specific actions.
Measuring climate behavior change
We track the adoption and continued use of practices across seasons, using farmer surveys, monitoring data and field checks. Because climate benefits often take time, we also measure intermediate outcomes, such as farmers' confidence, intention and the number of plots under trial. See our approach to M&E.
Gender and inclusion in climate programs
Women, young people and people with disabilities often face extra barriers to adopting new farming or energy practices, such as limited access to land, credit, information or extension services. Climate behavior change programs should identify these barriers early and design support that reaches everyone. See our work on gender and social norms.
Finance, markets and incentives
Many climate-friendly practices require upfront investment, such as buying improved seed, a clean cookstove or a solar system. Climate behavior change programs work better when they are linked to finance and market options that fit household cash flow, such as pay-as-you-go, savings groups, input credit or vouchers. We help programs test how products are framed, priced and sold, and how incentives can encourage first use without creating long-term dependency.
Working on climate or agriculture?
Contact us to discuss climate behavior change for your program, or see nutrition and human-centred design.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is climate behavior change?
Climate behavior change is the use of behavioral science and communication to help people adopt practices that reduce emissions or help them adapt to a changing climate, such as climate-smart farming, clean cooking, water conservation, early action on warnings and protecting natural resources.
Why focus on agriculture?
In much of Africa, farming is where climate change is felt most directly and where many adaptation behaviors happen. Small changes in crop choice, soil and water management, and the use of climate information can make a large difference to livelihoods.
Do you work with extension services?
Yes. Extension workers, lead farmers and agro-dealers are key messengers. We design tools and training that help them explain new practices and support farmers through the first season, which is often the hardest.
Can you support clean cooking and energy programs?
Yes. We help clean cooking and energy programs understand what households value in a stove or fuel, design sales and after-sales approaches, and support consistent use rather than one-off purchase.
How do you measure success?
We track adoption and continued use of practices, such as area under improved practice, use of climate information or stove use, using a mix of surveys, monitoring data and field checks.