Abstract
Farmers and local coffee experts, or ‘stakeholders’, can provide valuable information about changing climatic conditions and their effects on local coffee production. A brief and informal exchange to learn about the situations of farmers is a good starting point for understanding how climate impacts are being experienced locally. It can also help you understand how relevant climate change is to your particular coffee production area.
Interviews and focus group discussions with farmers and coffee experts.
First insight into perceptions and experiences around impacts of climate change in the targeted area or coffee production region.
Theory
Small focus groups can be a good way of complementing individual conversations with farmers and coffee experts. These groups can provide observational data (formal and informal), perceptions of climate change, and information on current activities in the field. Consider which groups of farmers should be consulted. For example, those who have over 20 years of experience with the local climate and agriculture may provide an alternative perspective to those who have not been working in the region for very long. It is important to remember that this should not be the only interaction you have with farmers during the c&c approach, and there will be opportunities to explore these issues in greater depth in other steps.
Focus the interview or group discussion on a maximum of five key questions, such as the following:
Guiding questions:
- Have there been any changes in temperature or rainfall patterns over the last 20 to 30 years? What is the evidence for this (anecdotal evidence is fine)?
- Have there been extreme weather events in the past? What kind of events and how often?
- Have there been changes in the microclimate? If so, how have they affected local coffee production?
- Have there been any changes in farming practices, potentially due to changing climatic conditions?
- Are you interested in learning more about the challenges of climate change and variability, as well as available options for how to respond?
Direct the discussion towards climate-related perceptions and observations, but allow also for the exploration of other topics if necessary. This should just be an initial introduction to existing perceptions, urgency and understandings of climate change. Be aware that not all changes they experience are climate change-related. It is important to properly analyze any information collected in order to develop an accurate assessment of how relevant the issue is for the local coffee community.