| dc.description.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 | en_US |
