Strategies for agrarian resilience: exploring crop diversification, insurance solutions and other adaptation mechanisms in Wayanad district, Southern India

Purpose Agriculture in Wayanad faces risks such as erratic rainfall, climate change, wildlife encroachment and landslides, impacting farmers' resilience. This study explores farmers' adaptation strategies, highlighting crop diversification and crop insurance adoption. Design/methodology/approach The study gathered data from 336 households through multistage random sampling. Crop diversification was measured with the Simpson Index, and a weighted least squares (WLS) model analysed the influencing factors. A binary logit model identified the determinants of crop insurance adoption. Findings The study shows that 44.94% of respondents practice moderate crop diversification, with an average Simpson Index of 0.46. Factors like age, education, family income, land size, access to technical advice and cattle ownership negatively impact diversification, while family size, non-farm income and agricultural extension services have a positive effect. Although 54.46% of farmers are willing to adopt crop insurance, only 31.5% have done so. Logit regression analysis indicates that education, risk perception and awareness positively influence the willingness to adopt crop insurance. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to regions similar to Wayanad and may not be generalisable to other regions with different agro-climatic conditions. Originality/value This study develops a unified framework for agrarian resilience, examining how socioeconomic and institutional factors, as well as access to technical services, influence farmers' distress mitigation strategies. The findings offer insights for coordinated policy interventions to enhance agricultural resilience in climate-vulnerable regions like Wayanad.