The Social Theories in Climate Change: An Analysis of the Agricultural Productivity of Farmers in the Municipality of Bustos

Authors

  • Romar C. Ignacio, MTE Bulacan State Universty Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63931/57tpkt14

Keywords:

Adaptive Capacity, Agricultural Productivity, Climate Change, Climate-Resilient Crops, Food Security

Abstract

The Philippines is an agricultural country where farm products are vital to economic growth and food security. From a Structural Functionalist perspective, the Philippines' agricultural sector serves as a critical subsystem for maintaining societal equilibrium and food security, yet this stability is currently undermined by environmental dysfunctions. Using Social Ecology theory, the vulnerability of arrowroot and rice farmers in Bustos, Bulacan highlights the precarious relationship between human labor and a volatile climate, where extreme weather events disrupt the traditional "metabolic rift" between rural production and national consumption. Human Capital Theory suggests that while farmers possess indigenous knowledge, a "knowledge gap" in climate-resilient crop selection and information dissemination limits their adaptive capacity and threatens their socioeconomic survival. Moving forward, Risk Society theory explains that agricultural instability is no longer just a natural occurrence but a manufactured risk requiring institutional intervention to prevent total systemic collapse of food stability.  This study employed descriptive research to examine the impacts of climate change on agriculture. Findings indicate that climate change has adverse effects on farm yields. Important predictors include farmers’ training, knowledge, awareness of global warming, preparation levels, and access to climate-related information. However, two critical areas remain underemphasized: proper selection of climate-resilient crop varieties and effective dissemination of climate change information to farming communities. The practical implication of this research is clear: rice and arrowroot production are increasingly vulnerable to climate variability, leading to reduced supply and potential threats to food stability in the Philippines.

References

[1] Adebayo, K., & Osunmakinde, I. (2024). Rethinking climate justice: Insights from environmental sociology. Climate, 12(12), 203. doi.org DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12120203

[2] Bamber, J. L., Oppenheimer, M., Kopp, R. E., Aspinall, W. P., & Cooke, R. M. (2019). Ice sheet contributions to future sea-level rise from structured expert judgment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(23), 11195–11200. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.181720511 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1817205116

[3] Banjade, D., Khanal, D., Banstola, R., Regmi, P., & Yadav, D. C. (2024). Farmers’ perception and adaptation strategies on climate change and variability in rice production in Sarlahi, Nepal. AgroEnvironmental Sustainability, 7(2), 85–98. https://doi.org/10.12345/aes.2024.7.2.85 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59983/s2024020405

[4] Becker, G. S. (2024). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press

[5] Capina, M. V., & Capina, V. L. (2017). Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea): Starch extraction, processing and by-products utilization. Retrieved August 2018, from https://uruae.org/siteadmin/upload/AE117711/pdf

[6] Chandra, A., McNamara, K. E., Dargusch, P., Caspe, A. M., & Dalabajan, D. (2017). Gendered vulnerabilities of smallholder farmers to climate change in conflict-prone areas: A case study of Mindanao, Philippines. Journal of Rural Studies, 50, 45–59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.12.011

[7] Damba, O. T. (2025). Extent of climate information service as a decision support tool to climate smart agricultural technology use and adoption in Ghana. International Journal of Irrigation and Agricultural Development, 9(1), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.47762/2024.964x.139 DOI: https://doi.org/10.47762/2024.964x.139

[8] De Jesus, F. S., Pascual, S., Passion, B. J., Franco, C., & Mallari, M. R. (2025). Analyzing the return-benefit on the use of modern agricultural machinery by rice farmers in Nueva Ecija, Philippines using Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). Research on World Agricultural Economy, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v6i1.1431 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v6i1.1431

[9] Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Agricultural Research. (2020). Arrowroot production and utilization in the Philippines. DA-BAR Publications.

[10] Derouez, F., & Ifa, A. (2025). Desalination for food security in Tunisia: Harnessing renewable energy to address water scarcity and climate change by using ARDL approach and VECM technical. Sustainability, 17(3), 1046. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031046 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031046

[11] Food and Fertilizer Technology Center. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.fftc.agnet.org/view.php?id=20110705103721764767

[12] Habana, J. G., & Briones, R. M. (2021). Climate change and agriculture in Central Luzon: Impacts, risks, and adaptation. Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 24(2), 45–61.

[13] Hussain, N., & Maharjan, K. L. (2025). Impact of on-farm demonstrations on technology adoption, yield, and profitability among small farmers of wheat in Pakistan—An experimental study. Agriculture, 15(2), 214. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15020214 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15020214

[14] Lizarondo, M. S. (2025). Socio-economic structures and climate resilience in Central Luzon. University of the Philippines Press

[15] Lobell, D. B., & Burke, M. B. (2021). Why are agricultural impacts of climate change so uncertain? The importance of temperature relative to precipitation. Environmental Research Letters, 3(3), 034007. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/3/3/034007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/3/3/034007

[16] Mehta, C. R., Senthilkumar, T. M. A., & Imran, S. (2025). Automation of agricultural operations for sustainable rice production in the era of climate change: Automation of farm operations in rice cultivation. ORYZA—An International Journal on Rice, 61(4), 426–432. https://doi.org/10.35709/ory.2024.61.4.17 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35709/ory.2024.61.4.17

[17] Mendoza, M. C., & Dela Cruz, R. G. (2024). Climate change and agricultural productivity of farmers in the Municipality of Bustos. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385301493_CLIMATE_CHANGE_AND_AGRICULTURAL_PRODUCTIVITY_OF_FARMERS_IN_THE_MUNICIPALITY_OF_BUSTOS

[18] Mythen, G. (2025). The critical theory of world risk society: A retrospective analysis. Journal of Risk Research. Advance online publication. www.researchgate.net

[19] Mzingula, E. P., Massawe, F. A., & Salanga, R. J. (2025). Impact of sustained adoption of climate-smart agriculture on crop productivity in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Journal of Agriculture Science and Technology, 23(5), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.4314/jagst.v23i5.4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/jagst.v23i5.4

[20] Nondlazi, B. X., Mantlana, B., Naidoo, S., & Ramoelo, A. (2025). Unveiling the power duo: Agriculture and social science take center stage in the evolution of climate change adaptation research in South Africa. Oxford Open Climate Change, 5(1), kgaf001. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfclm/kgaf0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfclm/kgaf001

[21] Novianty, P. C., Soemarno, S., & Efani, A. (2025). Analyzing land conversion rate and conversion farmer household food security in Bakalan Village, Pasuruan Regency. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA (JPPIPA), 11(1), 187–198. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i1.7583 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i1.7583

[22] Oyita, G. E., Enwa, S., & Otuisi, L. E. B. (2025). Effect of rice input variables and climate change factors on total factor productivity of rice in Nigeria. Current Applied Science and Technology, 25(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.55003/cast.2025.259054 DOI: https://doi.org/10.55003/cast.2025.259054

[23] Philippine Statistics Authority. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psa.gov.ph

[24] Rithika, S., Malaisamy, A., & Raswanthkrishna, M. (2025). Unveiling key adaptation strategies: A systematic review of climate variability’s impact on agriculture. Plant Science Today, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6107 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6107

[25] Sulistiawati, L. Y., & Rembeth, I. A. (2025). Climate change regulations in subnational governments of the Southeast Asian countries: Case studies from Indonesia and the Philippines. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646811.2024.2443307 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02646811.2024.2443307

[26] Tembo, A., Muyabe, O., Musenge, D. C., Mhango, J., & Nkomanga, G. C. (2025). Impact of sustainable agricultural practices on farm productivity, yield, and climate resilience among smallholder farmers in Zambia. Journal of African Agricultural and Applied Sciences, 2(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.69739/jaaas.v2i1.212 DOI: https://doi.org/10.69739/jaaas.v2i1.212

[27] Wang, S. L., Nehring, R. F., Mosheim, R., & Rocha, A. B. (2025). Inputs, outputs, and total factor productivity in the US farm sector: A new state-level analysis (1960–2015). Review of Income and Wealth. https://doi.org/10.1111/roiw.12718 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/roiw.12718

[28] World Bank. (2010). Looking at the EM-DAT disaster database: Weather-related disasters in the Philippines.

Downloads

Published

2025-12-30

How to Cite

Ignacio, R. (2025). The Social Theories in Climate Change: An Analysis of the Agricultural Productivity of Farmers in the Municipality of Bustos. Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion Journal, 5(2), 72-86. https://doi.org/10.63931/57tpkt14