| Social Capital and Farmers’ Adaptive Responses to Water Restrictions
Water is a significant resource in the natural environment and farmers rely on a steady supply of water during their growing season to be productive and maintain their livelihood. Due to several decades of decreasing water supplies, farmers in southern Idaho face new water restrictions. I use data from in-depth interviews with thirty farmers to investigate how social capital shapes perceived adaptive capacity as farmers face challenges collectively. This case study highlights creative entrepreneurs, who press forward and work together to solve agriculture-related problems through joint business ventures and representative leadership roles. As a result, farmers with more social capital have improved perceived adaptive capacity, which has the potential to lead to adaptation success. Benefits of social capital include opportunities for mobilization of information, emotional and social support, influence on decision making, and positive experiences mitigating agricultural risks cooperatively.
Key Words: Social capital, perceived adaptive capacity |