Community communication and coffee farmers' adaptation to climate variability in Amadeo, Cavite, Philippines

The study was conducted to analyze coffee farmers' engagement in community communication as they adapt their farming practices to climate variability. It was descriptive-correlational research that utilized key informant interviews and survey using an interview schedule for data gathering. There were 12 key informants and 93 respondents. Chi-square was used to test relationship among variables. Results revealed that respondents were 58 year old, male married; had formal schooling, coffee farming as major occupation, an average household size of five; had been residing in Amadeo for more than 21 years, but only a few had organizational affiliations. They owned 1.0 hectare of farm within the barangay [village], mostly planted with Robusta; had high farm experience, but rarely attended seminars or trainings. Only one family member was involved in coffee farming, TV, radio, and cellphones were the most owned media, with TV as the most accessed medium. They have low media use. Majority of the respondents had observed changes in weather patterns/climatic conditions in Amadeo, Cavite in terms of increase in temperature, increased frequency of hot days and warm nights, decreased frequency of cold days and cool nights, and increased intensity extreme rainfall. They regarded climate variability as extreme weather conditions or irregular climate patterns, which they attributed to both natural causes and human activities and associated climate variability with its adverse effects. Adaption of farming practices to climate variability included adoption of additional or alternative crops through intercropping, adjustments in the time of fertilizer application and in harvesting, more frequent weeding, regular pruning, less frequent rejuvenation, spraying as needed to control pests and diseases, covering of harvested coffee fruits, and stocking their harvests first before selling them. Replacement of old trees with new ones was also a salient adaptation strategy. As respondents adapted their farming practice to climate variability, they engaged in small groupings composed of one to five co-farmers or neighbors that happened twice or thrice a month within the neighborhood or at home and in adjacent farms. These were informal and nobody assumed leadership. Cellphone was used to supplement face-to-face communication or information-sharing on coffee farming. Respondents has low level of participation in major activities. They had moderate engagement in community communication. Male respondents whose farms were located outside the barangay [village] and had high farm experience but low media use were predisposed to engage in community communication. Observation of climate variability was not significantly related to level of engagement in community communication and to adaptation of farming practice to climate variability. Respondents' level of engagement in community communication was significantly related to coffee planting and farming in general, weeding, and control of pests and diseases adaptation strategies. Finally, a community communication framework for enhancing adaptation to climate variability was proposed.