Determinants of Climate Change Perception Among Corn Farmers: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis in Grobogan District, Indonesia

¹ Research Fellow at Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia
² Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
³ Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: nurmuttaqien@unimus.ac.id

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of climate change perception among corn farmers in Grobogan District, Central Java, one of Indonesia's main corn production areas that is increasingly exposed to climate risks. The research examines how individual characteristics, access to climate information, institutional support, and socioeconomic conditions affect farmers' perceptions, employing a quantitative explanatory approach. Data were collected from 340 purposively selected farmers and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicate that all four exogenous variables significantly shape farmers' perceptions of climate change. Socioeconomic conditions emerge as the strongest determinant (β = 0.324; t = 6.095), followed by access to climate information (β = 0.292; t = 5.472), institutional support (β = 0.221; t = 4.121), and individual characteristics (β = 0.187; t = 3.732). The structural model demonstrates substantial explanatory power with an R² of 0.639 and good predictive relevance (Q² = 0.486). These findings underscore the importance of enhancing farmers' economic resilience, strengthening information dissemination, and improving institutional engagement in increasing awareness and readiness to respond to climate risks. The study provides empirical evidence for designing localized and multidimensional climate adaptation strategies to support smallholder farmers in climate-vulnerable regions.