Adoption of Climate-smart agriculture practices among farmers and its effect on crop revenue in Adea Berga District, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Climate change presents a major challenge to the productivity of agriculture worldwide, necessitating the development of environmentally sustainable agricultural systems capable of withstanding its challenges. This study investigates the determinants influencing the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices among smallholder farmers, aiming to understand the factors guiding adoption decisions and evaluate the impact of CSA on smallholder farmer income. Data was collected through structured household surveys from 230 households by using a mixed method of purposive and simple three-stage stratified random sampling. Meteorological data spanning 30 years (1994 to 2023) were obtained from the Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency (ENMA). The Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope tests, revealed no significant trend in total maximum annual rainfall but indicated a significant upward trend in total annual maximum temperature. The descriptive analysis showed that the sampled households had a mean livestock holding of 30.58 TLU, and an average annual farm income of 61,117.39 ETB. Approximately 50.87% of respondents received climate information, while 20.43% had access to credit services. Transitioning from non-adoption to adoption increased farm income from 52,584.07 to 69,358.97 ETB, accompanied by an increase in total land owned from 2.35 to 3.45 hectares. The multinomial logit model (MNL) demonstrated that education level, household size, land ownership, off-farm income, climate information, and contact with extension agents positively influenced adoption decisions, with erosion showing a negative influence across all practices. Additionally, education level significantly influenced the adoption of soil and water conservation practices and the joint adoption of CSA practices. Household size positively influenced the adoption of crop rotation, while off-farm income significantly affected the adoption of joint climate-smart practices. Livestock ownership negatively affected the adoption of soil and water conservation practices but positively influenced crop rotation adoption. Contact with extension agents was significant across all adoption types. The multinomial endogenous switching regression model (MESR) revealed that joint adoption of crop rotation and soil and water conservation practices significantly increased farm income by 1,107,245 ETB. Overall, these findings contribute valuable insights toward achieving sustainable economic growth, combating climate change, and enhancing resilience in agricultural systems