Participation and Non-Participation in Climate Smart Agriculture in a Zambian Farming Community: A Phenomenological Study in Risk Communication

Abstract

This study aimed at understanding participation and non-participation in climate-smart agriculture through the lens of Phenomenological Tradition of Communication Theory which conceives communication as an experience of self and others in dialogue. It attempted to answer two questions: What are the views of farmers on Climate Smart Agriculture in a Zambian farming community? How do their views define participation and non-participation in climate-smart agriculture? I used qualitative research, particularly, field observations and in-depth conversations with two farmers. I identified repeated statements and phrases from the farmers' conversations and narratives and woven them into themes that described the views of farmers in climate smart agriculture. Two themes constituted the views of farmers on climate smart agriculture: an "acquired or learned experience" with potential for a good harvest and was dependent on the blessing from the spiritual beings, and it defined the action of participation; and "compromising and non-adherence" towards the well-being of the land, whereas the spiritual beings responded with punishment in form of rainfall anomalies, increased droughts and other eschatological consequences, and this defined the action of non-participation. This can be explained through the lens of Phenomenological Tradition of Communication Theory that farmers were in dialogue with the spiritual beings who did not want to be displeased when farmers engaged in climate smart agriculture. This, therefore, explained Risk communication as an interpretive and communicative action of people's real lived experiences, occurring in a contextualized situation, to gain meaning of their desired action to prevent or minimize the effects of potential consequences of risks on their existence. Understanding Risk communication in his way, explains a new communication view called the Phenomenological view of Risk Communication; where people's real lived experiences, based on their contextualized situation, are interpreted and meaning is gained to make farmers in risk environments, to prevent or minimize effects of risks on their existence.