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A study from KU reveals that farmers in Kansas and Missouri steer clear of discussing climate change, regardless of their views, to prevent arguments, conflict, or harm to their livelihoods.

When it comes to talking about climate change with their peers, many Americans believe it’s best to keep quiet, particularly given how politicized the issue has become.

That is particularly true among Midwest farmers, new research from the University of Kansas has found. A professor there said that’s problematic since farmers may have some unique insights into climate change.

“(Farmers) have been both the victims and contributors to carbon dioxide emissions,” Hong Tien Vu, an associate professor at the school of journalism and mass communication at KU and lead author of the study, said. “So, it’s important for them to talk about it, to solve the problem that they’re facing every day in their work.”

Farmers are worried about a variety of negative reactions that can arise from climate change discussions, but researchers at the University of Kansas wanted to hear input from people in the agricultural industry where this issue can directly affect a farmer’s livelihood.

A study published in Environmental Communication reveals that while Midwestern farmers recognize climate change as a reality, they are reluctant to discuss it. The research highlights how farmers in Kansas and Missouri cope with the challenges posed by differing views on climate change — an issue that has fueled political tensions and deep divisions in rural America.

After interviewing 22 farmers, the findings reveal that many are concerned about their personal safety and potential alienation if they openly discuss climate change, even with close family, friends, and communities. This fear discourages some from addressing climate shifts in their farming practices.

Vu said farmers are on the frontline of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Students interviewed scientists on campus and farmers in surrounding communities about climate change. However, Vu said that a lot of farmers were reluctant to talk about the controversial topic on camera.

“If they avoid talking about it, it can be a problem,” Vu said. “It will slow down the mitigation and adaptation process so that climate change will not be able to be addressed in a timely manner.”

The study states that 12 of the farmers that were interviewed believe that climate change is happening with some stating that humans are the cause of the environmental issue. Meanwhile, there are five who are partially skeptical and five farmers have said they don’t believe it is happening at all.

A lot of the skeptics of climate change doubted that humans were the contributors to greenhouse gas emissions along with the efficacy of climate solutions.

“It’s happening. I can’t tell you why. I can’t tell you what’s (causing) it,” however, “I don’t think man contributes to climate change as much as people like to believe,” one of the respondents said.

Climate change has been accelerating in recent years, with 2024 recorded as the hottest year, according to the NOAA. Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are disrupting farming, reducing crop yields and livestock productivity. Warming also increases pest and disease risks, alters growing seasons, and depletes soil fertility, which threaten agricultural livelihoods.

But farmers are a contributor as well as a victim of the changing climate. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that agriculture accounted for 10.5% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, with a majority coming from the various management practices to agricultural soils.

“In our conversations with farmers, what we felt was that they have been blamed as contributors to carbon dioxide emissions and reluctant to any changes or adaptation, but it is also very difficult for them,” Vu said. “Sometimes, changing practices would require a lot of investment and they have to deal with it.”

With farmers feeling reluctant to discuss the topic on camera, researchers conducted interviews and left their respondents anonymous. Farmers then discussed their opinions on the topic, how it affects their lives and work, and why they avoid discussing it.

The researchers also explored the topic using the “spiral of silence” theory, which suggests that when engaging in discussions about controversial issues, individuals assess the dominant opinion of others before deciding whether to speak up. If they perceive themselves as being in the minority, they are more likely to remain silent. This silence can lead to lasting consequences, such as suppressing voices and worsening issues that are left unaddressed.

When asked about climate change, responses varied from those who believe it’s real, scientifically supported, and already impacting the world, to those who are skeptical about its existence and its human-induced causes. However, one common thread was that most respondents preferred to avoid discussing the topic altogether.

The “spiral of silence” theory suggests that people traditionally relied on news media to assess public opinion on controversial issues. However, the study revealed that participants felt news outlets only served to politicize the topic, making them an unreliable source for understanding how others felt. As a result, many individuals turned to social media, where they could observe others’ posts on the subject or engage in discussions without the fear of heated arguments or conflict.

“When you go on social media, usually people will think that it’s a virtual world. You are masked,” Vu said. “Nobody will know exactly who you are and also because the algorithms of different social media platforms allow you to selectively pick the communities that you want to be a part of (and) the information that you want to be exposed to.”

Vu said that overall, farmers have been excluded from the conversation about climate change. He said in his team’s next project, they hope to understand how farmers feel about not having their voice heard with regards to policies and public communication of climate change.

“I always think that it’s important to communicate about climate change,” Vu said. “It’s important to communicate about the challenges we face these days.” He said that in order to do that, there needs to be collective efforts from everyone because if we can’t talk about it, it can lead to bigger problems.