Climate change is threatening global food production and could potentially exacerbate food insecurity in many parts of the world. China is the second largest maize producer. Variations in maize yields in China are likely to have major implications for food security in the world. Based on longitudinal data of 4,861 households collected annually between 2004 and 2010, we assess the impact of weather variations on maize yields in the two main producing regions in China, the Northern spring maize zone and the Yellow-Huai Valley summer maize zone. We also explore the role of adaptation, by estimating the response of Chinese farmers in both regions, in particular in terms of income diversification. With the use of household and time fixed effects, our estimates relate within-household variations in household outcomes (maize yields, net income, land and input use) to within-location variations in weather conditions. Temperature, drought, wet conditions, and precipitations have detrimental effects on maize yields in the two maize zones. The impact is stronger in the Northern spring maize zone where one standard deviation in temperature and drought conditions decreases maize yields by 1.4% and 2.5%, respectively.Nonetheless, such impact does not seem to translate into a significant fall in total net income.Adaptation seems to be key in explaining such a contrast in the Northern spring maize zone where the largest impact is estimated. On the contrary, we find a lower impact in the other region, the Yellow-Huai Valley summer maize zone but such impact is likely to intensify. The lack of adaptation observed in that region results into detrimental impacts on net farm and total income. Enhancing adaptative behaviors among Chinese farmers even further is likely to be key to future food security in China and in the rest of the world.

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Minor beans other than soybeans or peanuts are edible beans (EBs) that significantly contribute to the Chinese agricultural sector and play a vital role in the sustainability of agricultural production, diversification of food consumption, and income generation for producers. These beans are an important source of protein in a healthy diet, helping to improve national food security. In addition, adjusting and optimizing the industrial structure promotes the sustainable development of agriculture and diversifies staple food crops and introduction of new revenue streams for EB products. The current study examines the responses of mung bean and broad bean producers to environmental and internal input constraints. This study uses the production function with a multilevel mixed-effects method and is based on 848 households from two major EB-producing provinces of China in 2018 and 2019. The results show that local climatic conditions influence planting behavior. These types of beans are considered as a supplement and backup crop to the staple crop. Commercialization encourages cultivation. Producers show variable price responses to output prices, but very strong responses to product costs. Minor bean production is favored by small households because of its low labor intensity. For households growing these beans for consumption, soil fertility and environmental outcomes are improved. Findings from research on planting behavior have strong policy implications for guiding research and development for drought and pest resistance, market monitoring for price stabilization, promoting EB production through low-cost technologies, and encouraging sustainable agriculture.