Decision‐Making in Climate Change Adaptation Among Tea Farmers: Empirical Insights From China

ABSTRACT Adaptation constitutes a critical strategy for mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change. Enhancing farmers' adaptation behaviors is essential for strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems. This study focuses on tea farmers and develops a conceptual framework for climate change adaptation behavior decision‐making by integrating protection motivation theory, theory of planned behavior, and farmer behavior theory. Utilizing field survey data from 313 tea farmers in Fujian Province, China, a structural equation model was employed to empirically analyze the pathways and relative strength of psychological factors influencing tea farmers' adaptation behavior decisions. The findings indicate that: (1) In response to climate change impacts, 58.8% of tea farmers have implemented adaptive measures, whereas 41.2% have undertaken no action; (2) Both risk perception and adaptability perception exert significantly positive influences on tea farmers' climate change adaptation behaviors, indicating that perception underpins adaptation behavior occurrence, with adaptability perception demonstrating a stronger effect on behavioral decisions; (3) Communication and learning with neighbors, relatives, friends, and government officials positively facilitate the adoption of adaptive measures, whereas established behavioral habits impede behavioral adjustment. Based on these results, this study proposes policy recommendations centered on enhancing perceptual capabilities, improving social learning mechanisms, and fostering adaptive practices, aimed at strengthening tea farmers' capacity and willingness to implement climate change adaptation actions.