263 - Participatory Approaches for Capturing Diverse Perspectives in Climate-Informed Agriculture Programming.

Abstract Information: Climate change remains the greatest contemporary threat to humankind, with increased drought occurrences, extreme rainfall, and rising temperatures affecting the profitability and sustainability of agriculture production across the Midwest. Incidences of pests and diseases are predicted to increase at an unprecedented rate as warmer temperatures and greater moisture create optimal conditions for the spread of disease and pathogens. The myriad of climate stressors will exacerbate the impacts on the agriculture production system, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. Facing these potentially devastating impacts, it is urgent to build resilience through climate mitigation and adaptation. This poster explores the use of participatory methods in designing a Theory of Change (ToC). Specifically, it examines how Cooperative Extension professionals at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have integrated climate-informed agriculture into their programs that serve minority farmers in their communities. The poster examines the challenges to integration and opportunities, barriers, and resources needed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of HBCU-based climate-informed programming. To do this, the work utilizes three methods. The first method is to adopt a human-participatory approach to developing a regional ToC that can then be utilized as a road map for project teams and stakeholders. The second method involves conducting targeted workshops to incorporate the unique interests and perspectives of Black and Indigenous communities. Thirdly, it is also important to strengthen the climate-information infrastructure by bolstering partnerships and collaborations between Extension, the North Central Climate Collaborative, and the Midwest Climate Hub (MCH). The outcomes of this work help inform the next steps in the project toward accelerating the adaptation of climate-informed strategies while without confronting structural inequalities, such as unequal access to resources such as money and land, within minoritized communities.