Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture: The Impact of Farmer Resilience and Digital Advisory Services on Sustainable Crop Management

Abstract

Climate change poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity and food security worldwide. Increasing frequency of extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and shifting rainfall patterns challenge conventional farming practices and necessitate adaptive strategies to ensure sustainable crop management. Farmers’ resilience—their capacity to anticipate, respond, and recover from climate-related shocks and digital advisory services, including mobile apps, remote sensing platforms, and online extension services, are critical in facilitating climate-smart agricultural practices. This study investigates the impact of farmer resilience and digital advisory services on sustainable crop management. Farmer resilience is conceptualized as adaptive capacity, knowledge, and coping strategies that mitigate climate risks, while digital advisory services provide timely, data-driven guidance on crop planning, irrigation, pest management, and weather adaptation. A quantitative research design was employed, using structured questionnaires distributed to farmers, agronomists, and agricultural extension specialists across regions affected by climate variability. Data were analyzed using Smart PLS structural equation modeling to examine the direct and interaction effects of farmer resilience and digital advisory services on sustainable crop management outcomes. Results indicate that both farmer resilience and access to digital advisory services significantly enhance sustainable crop management practices. Digital advisory services amplify the positive effects of farmer resilience by providing timely information, predictive analytics, and evidence-based recommendations, enabling proactive adaptation to climate challenges. The findings highlight the importance of integrating human adaptive capacity with digital technologies to achieve resilient, high-performing agricultural systems. These insights inform policymakers, agricultural planners, and extension services in designing interventions to support climate-smart agriculture.