Access to Credit as a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Cotton Farmers: Evidence from Aydın-Söke

Adaptation strategies to climate change are important to manage the risks of climate change and to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production. This research was conducted in Türkiye to determine the adaptation strategies of cotton farmers in the Söke district of Aydın province, the first geographical indication registered by the European Union. A survey of 157 farmers was conducted using simple random sampling. After a comprehensive preliminary investigation of adaptation strategies, the chi-square test was used to test whether there was a significant difference between cotton farmers' access to credit, climate change adaptation strategies and other variables. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors influencing farmers' access to credit. The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that social and economic factors such as land tenancy and union membership have a positive influence on access to credit. In addition, it was found that a change in irrigation method, a change in the timing of spraying and land management had a positive effect on access to credit, while changes in land ownership, favoring drought-resistant varieties and turning to non-agricultural activities had a negative effect on access to credit. According to the results of this study, the implementation of holistic adaptation strategies instead of partial adaptation strategies could be a solution for climate change adaptation in cotton farming.