Making sense of climate change: the case of Aotearoa New Zealand dairy farmers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Climate change represents complexity for farmers in that events resulting from climatic changes can be concurrently abrupt, extreme, persistent, and can span boundaries. This can create complexity and difficulty for organisations in terms of how they make sense to act. To understand sensemaking processes, we explored climate change by studying a drought event. Relying on qualitative methods and a sample of dairy farmers in New Zealand who experienced a drought event over the decade 2003–2013, findings suggest that dairy farmers made sense by their: (1) embedded, immersive experience on farms; (2) use of ecological material; and (3) community interaction. Our findings extend insight into sensemaking processes, particularly in the areas of routine perspectives, the use of natural material objects, and the social nature of making sense. Implications are relevant to practitioners who work in farm associations, extension services and policy-making who have roles requiring them to communicate about climate change to farmers. We describe contributions, limitations, and opportunities for future research.