Global Survey Highlights Farmers’ Concerns About Climate Change and Adoption of New Technologies

A new global survey has revealed that 75% of farmers are already impacted by climate change or concerned about its effects, with 71% identifying reduced yields as a significant challenge. Conducted by Kynetec on behalf of Bayer, the 2024 Farmer Voice survey gathered data from 2,000 farmers across eight countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Kenya, Ukraine, and the United States. The study highlights the difficulties faced by farmers, including extreme weather events, political instability, and economic volatility. Notably, 60% of respondents have experienced revenue losses due to unusual weather conditions.

Farmers are increasingly looking to innovation as part of the solution, with 75% expressing openness to adopting new technologies to improve their resilience to climate-related challenges. In Brazil, farmers are particularly focused on digital tools to optimize their farming operations. Globally, nearly two-thirds of farmers already use digital technologies, and another 25% plan to adopt them. Economic drivers such as improved crop yields, cost savings, and better crop quality are the primary motivations for using these tools. However, a digital divide persists, especially in countries like India, where only 8% of farmers currently use digital tools, though 85% plan to implement them in the future.

The survey also highlights the growing interest in sustainability and regenerative agricultural practices. Over 90% of farmers worldwide are employing at least one regenerative method, with practices like crop rotation and soil health monitoring being the most common. These practices are aligned with farmers’ goals of increasing productivity while maintaining long-term farm viability.

In addition to the global survey, a separate study was conducted with smallholder farmers in India and Indonesia. Both groups reported facing rising input costs and challenges linked to climate change. Despite these difficulties, farmers in these regions, like those in Latin America, maintain optimism about their work, with a majority expressing pride in their role in ensuring food security.

You can download the survey results here.