This study employs a stated choice experiment survey to identify producer preferences for contracts to produce Giant Miscanthus. Preliminary results indicate that price offered per ton of harvested Miscanthus, yield insurance availability, and biorefinery harvest have significant positive effects on the probability of a producer accepting a contract to produce Giant Miscahthus. The results show that risk-neutral farmers as more willing to accept contracts relative to risk-loving farmers, ceteris paribus. Farmers who perceive yield risk of Miscathus to be greater than their current crop are less likely to accept Giant Miscanthus contracts.

This study employed a stated choice experiment survey to identify southeastern U.S. farmers' preferences for contracts to produce Giant Miscanthus. We developed a more theoretically consistent framework which takes into account risk preference and perception information and also accounts for heterogeneous status-quo alternatives. Results from our Random Parameter Logit model indicated that price per ton of harvested Giant Miscanthus, biorefinery harvest, and establishment cost-share all had significant positive effects on the probability of a producer accepting a contract to produce Giant Miscanthus, whereas contract length had a significant negative effect. Our analysis also found evidence of significant preference heterogeneity in producers' preferences for biorefinery harvest, yield insurance, and contract length. We also found that incorporating risk perception and risk preference information, as well as accounting for heterogeneous status-quo alternatives in the decision framework improved overall model performance even though the respective individual coefficients for these variables were not statistically significant. ii DEDICATION I dedicate this research to my parents, Mr. Kwaku Frimpong Brenyah and Mrs.

In spite of various efforts of improving cocoa yield and farm’s production embarked upon by cocoa farmers, the nation has recorded poor yield due to the unending activities of men which has led to global warming. In view of the relevance of cocoa in the country’s gross domestic product, there is need to sustain efforts for increase production and productivity of the sector.   This research work examined the climate change and adaptation strategies on cocoa production in Ibarapa central local government area of Oyo state with sample size of 120 respondents. Data were collected from selected cocoa farmers with the aid of structured interview schedule and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that some respondents (60.6%) were still in their active age range with abundant family labour. The findings also revealed that majority (78.9%) of the respondents are small-scale farmers with less than 5 hectares of farm size while 94.5% of the respondents plant cover crops as regular adaptation strategy. Finance was a serious constraint faced by the respondents in the use of adaptation strategies in the study area. However, a significant relationship exists between respondent age education and farm size at P<0.05. It is recommended that farmers should be properly educated on current practices that will reduce the negative impact of climate change in cocoa farming environment.