This document discusses engagement with horticultural growers in the Virginia and Northern Adelaide Plains region of Australia about facilitating climate change adaptation. It describes reviewing existing information on communication, vulnerability, practices and impacts. A vulnerability assessment was conducted to identify the most vulnerable areas to engage growers about. The best engagement tools and understanding grower knowledge, networks and champions is important. Scientific information needs to be translated into contextual, accurate and easy to understand terms for growers regarding potential impacts over short, medium and long time frames to help with decision making under uncertainty.

1. Engagement’s role in building
adaptive capacity within the
horticultural industry of the Virginia
and Northern Adelaide Plains Region
 Kylie Fergusen, Jensen Planning and Design
 Karla Billington, naturallogic

2. Key Message – Facilitating climate change adaptation
requires localised and contextual engagement approaches

3. ENGAGEMENT WITH GROWERS
Science meets psychology
meets communication meets
industry knowledge

4. Background
 AMLRNRM engaged us to develop a
climate change engagement plan for
the Virginia and Northern Adelaide Plains
region.
 We reviewed existing baseline -
communication and engagement, levels
of vulnerability, adaptive practices,
potential climate change impacts
 PIRSA, Councils of Mallala, Playford,
AMLRNRM, Hortex, Barossa Economic
Development Authority commissioned a
Horticultural Framework (economics,
culture, training, education, land use
planning, marketing, business
management etc) for the region,
engagement was a key component
 AMLRNM engaged Graham Green to
investigate climate change impacts on
horticulture in the region

5. Know about the industry
Crop Type by Area: 5,114 ha
1295
632
470 594
385
469
206
179
190
124 571
Potatoes
Olives
Winegrapes
Almonds
Carrots
Lettuce
Onions
Tomatoes
Capsicums
Cucumbers
Other

6. Know about the growers
 Language and culture, age, household income, use
of smart phones and computers etc (ABS)
 varies geographically and extent
Region
English Greek Italian Punjabi Vietnamese Khmer English
%
Gawler - North 30 0 7 0 0 0 75%
Lewiston - Two Wells 29 12 3 10 11 15 22%
Virginia - Waterloo
Corner 213 38 39 23 307 68 27%
Munno Para West -
Angle Vale 36 3 25 0 35 6 33%
Total 308 53 74 33 353 89 29%
Share Across Region 29% 5% 7% 3% 34% 8%

7. Understand grower
knowledge/
business
style/cultural
attitudes/networks/
local champions

8. Best engagement
tools/activities

9. Know about levels of vulnerability
(informs what you should be engaging about)
Domain Natural
Resources
Agriculture Economy and
Transport
Social and Community
Sector · Water
Resources
· Soil health
and salinity
· Horticulture
· Field crops
· Floriculture
· Energy
· Waste
· Transport
· Infrastructure
· Markets
· Communications
· Health
· Knowledge
Climate change can impact on various domains and sectors for
each industry.
Integrated Vulnerability Assessments (IVA) build on conventional
risk management by considering not only the impacts
associated with climate change, but also the capacity to
overcome stress and adapt to changed.
Engage with people about the areas in which they are most
vulnerable (priorities vary)

10. Vulnerability Assessment
ExEpxpoosusurere SeSennsistiivtiivtyity
PoPotetenntiatial Ilm Imppaacct t Adaptive Capacity
VVuulnlneerarabbiliitlyity
Understanding the relationship between exposure,
sensitivity, adaptive capacity and vulnerability helps to
identify adaption options that address the weakest link
within processes (therefore assists what you engage
about)
In addressing the weakest link, exposure to the stress is
reduced and adaptive capacity is increased.

11. Example of vulnerability assessment
Exposure from heatwaves
Chickens are highly Water required for cooling
sensitive
Adapt mains water
supply, reduced
vulnerability

12. Translating scientific information
for community engagement

14. How to translate information
Make it as
contextual
as possible
Let the
science speak
for its self
Ensure accuracy of scientific message,
providing detail which ensures it is locally
relevant, relevant to the crop or farm
management types, relevant to
vulnerability, and in terms used by
growers.

15. Growers think and communicate in
terms of:
•Dry years, wet years….rather than percentiles
•Occurrence - i.e. events per year….rather than %
•Total volumes of water (linked to specific crop)
…..rather than potential evapotranspiration (mm)
•Within 15 years……rather than by 2030
•Examples, scenarios

16. Examples

17. Statements which summarise multiple weather
event indicators or management implications are
also highly beneficial:
•Optimum growing temperatures for potatoes may reduce
by up to 35 days
•Approaching harvest time, more days of over 28oC will
significantly effect quality
•There will be an increase in the need for pre-harvest irrigation
to bring soils to an ideal harvest temperature

18. Translation of scientific information takes a considerable
amount of time and should be specifically considered
within projects.
In the case of the Virginia project, we translated,
summarised, interpreted and extrapolated information in
order to achieve the key engagement messages.
Collaborative approach

19. Engagement in the face of
uncertainty
•Growers deal with risk and uncertainty all of the time
(weather, insurance, market fluctuations).
•With regard to climate change growers need to have the
best information to hand about potential impacts. This
information can be divided into different time scales:
• Short term, what and when to plant, pest / plant
management, irrigation scheduling;
• Medium term, development of crop cultivars, developing
irrigation infrastructure;
• Long term, whether to expand, sell out or relocate business.
•Providing information across all time frames is highly
beneficial.

20. THANKYOU!