A Rangelands Conundrum – the Division Within and Among Producers and Stakeholders Regarding Climate Change: Addressing the Challenge to Promote and Gain Consensus of Perception

Abstract

The science of climate change is almost universally accepted by the science community, yet producers and other key stakeholders in the rangelands are divided in their beliefs and understandings of climate change and the part that climate change plays in extreme events that impact their businesses. To counteract that, this article suggests that emphasis on sound, educationally framed climate information will arm producers and stakeholders with leading-edge knowledge and techniques to meet the challenges of rapidly reducing their emissions and building resilience. They will require skills, knowledge, leadership and resources to adapt to a new reality. It is suggested that collaborative and innovative strategies are needed. Extension programs that are active, results-oriented and collaborative, such as those between multiple stakeholders, government and research institutes, are necessary. Inaction should not be justified through past mistakes, which must not be repeated. Authentic evaluation examining end-results and practice change are essential. This article identifies a series of strategies for future engagement with producers, and discusses resistance to change. Various methods for collecting support from producers and stakeholders are considered. It is concluded that incentives and the ways in which knowledge is transferred must be sufficiently robust so that political, industrial and/or ideological sabotage is resisted. This would represent an irreversible, changed approach to rangelands management, use and sustainment.