IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2019i1p195-d301864.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determinants of the Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices by Small-Scale Farming Households in King Cetshwayo District Municipality, South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Victor O. Abegunde

    (Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa)

  • Melusi Sibanda

    (Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa)

  • Ajuruchukwu Obi

    (Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa)

Abstract

Agriculture, particularly small-scale farming, is both a contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and a victim of the effects of climate change. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) offers a unique opportunity to adapt to the effects of climate change while at the same time mitigating GHG emissions. The low response to the adoption of CSA among small-scale farmers raises questions as to the factors influencing its adoption in the small-scale farming system. With the aid of a close-ended questionnaire, structured interviews were conducted and formed the basis on which data were generated from 327 small-scale farmers selected through random sampling. Descriptive statistics, Composite Score Index and a Generalized Ordered Logit Regression (gologit) model were employed for the analysis. The majority (56.6%) of the sampled farmers fell in the medium category of users of CSA practices, while the lowest proportion (17.7%) of the sampled farmers fell in the high category. The use of organic manure, crop rotation and crop diversification were the most popular CSA practices among the sampled farmers. Educational status, farm income, farming experience, size of farmland, contact with agricultural extension, exposure to media, agricultural production activity, membership of an agricultural association or group and the perception of the impact of climate change were found to be statistically significant and positively correlated with the level of CSA adoption. Furthermore, off-farm income and distance of farm to homestead were statistically significant but negatively correlated with the CSA level of adoption. This paper argues that climate change-related education through improved extension contact and exposure to mass media can strengthen integrated farm activities that bolster farm income. Additionally, farmer associations or groups should be given adequate attention to facilitate CSA adoption as a means to climate change mitigation and resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Victor O. Abegunde & Melusi Sibanda & Ajuruchukwu Obi, 2019. "Determinants of the Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices by Small-Scale Farming Households in King Cetshwayo District Municipality, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2019:i:1:p:195-:d:301864
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/1/195/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/1/195/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:cup:cbooks:9781108422536 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Teklewold, Hailemariam & Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele & Köhlin, Gunnar, 2013. "Cropping system diversification, conservation tillage and modern seed adoption in Ethiopia: Impacts on household income, agrochemical use and demand for labor," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 85-93.
    3. Stein T. Holden & Keijiro Otsuka & Klaus Deininger (ed.), 2013. "Land Tenure Reform in Asia and Africa," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-34381-9, December.
    4. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Sofina Maharjan & Olaf Erenstein, 2018. "Factors affecting the adoption of multiple climate‐smart agricultural practices in the Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(3), pages 141-158, August.
    5. Tek B. Sapkota & Jeetendra P. Aryal & Arun Khatri-Chhetri & Paresh B. Shirsath & Ponraj Arumugam & Clare M. Stirling, 2018. "Identifying high-yield low-emission pathways for the cereal production in South Asia," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 621-641, April.
    6. Takashi Yamano & Srinivasulu Rajendran & Maria Malabayabas, 2015. "Farmers’ self-perception toward agricultural technology adoption: evidence on adoption of submergence-tolerant rice in Eastern India," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 17(2), pages 260-274, October.
    7. Knowler, Duncan & Bradshaw, Ben, 2007. "Farmers' adoption of conservation agriculture: A review and synthesis of recent research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 25-48, February.
    8. Hazem S. Kassem & Abdel Raouf Suleiman Bello & Bader M. Alotaibi & Fahd O. Aldosri & Gary S. Straquadine, 2019. "Climate Change Adaptation in the Delta Nile Region of Egypt: Implications for Agricultural Extension," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-22, January.
    9. Kassie, Menale & Jaleta, Moti & Shiferaw, Bekele & Mmbando, Frank & Mekuria, Mulugetta, 2013. "Adoption of interrelated sustainable agricultural practices in smallholder systems: Evidence from rural Tanzania," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 525-540.
    10. Pratap S. Birthal & Shiv Kumar & Digvijay S. Negi & Devesh Roy, 2015. "The impacts of information on returns from farming: evidence from a nationally representative farm survey in India," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 46(4), pages 549-561, July.
    11. Brooks,Chris, 2019. "Introductory Econometrics for Finance," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781108436823, October.
    12. Tibesigwa, Byela & Visser, Martine & Turpie, Jane, 2015. "The impact of climate change on net revenue and food adequacy of subsistence farming households in South Africa," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(3), pages 327-353, June.
    13. Felix Akrofi-Atitianti & Chinwe Ifejika Speranza & Louis Bockel & Richard Asare, 2018. "Assessing Climate Smart Agriculture and Its Determinants of Practice in Ghana: A Case of the Cocoa Production System," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, March.
    14. Richard Williams, 2006. "Generalized ordered logit/partial proportional odds models for ordinal dependent variables," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 6(1), pages 58-82, March.
    15. Jeetendra P. Aryal roresearcher & Stein T. Holden, 2013. "Land Reforms, Caste Discrimination and Land Market Performance in Nepal," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Stein T. Holden & Keijiro Otsuka & Klaus Deininger (ed.), Land Tenure Reform in Asia and Africa, chapter 2, pages 29-53, Palgrave Macmillan.
    16. Lindumusa Myeni & Mokhele Moeletsi & Mulalo Thavhana & Mulalo Randela & Lebohang Mokoena, 2019. "Barriers Affecting Sustainable Agricultural Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Free State of South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, May.
    17. Leslie Lipper & Philip Thornton & Bruce M. Campbell & Tobias Baedeker & Ademola Braimoh & Martin Bwalya & Patrick Caron & Andrea Cattaneo & Dennis Garrity & Kevin Henry & Ryan Hottle & Louise Jackson , 2014. "Climate-smart agriculture for food security," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(12), pages 1068-1072, December.
    18. Primrose Zama Ngema & Melusi Sibanda & Lovemore Musemwa, 2018. "Household Food Security Status and Its Determinants in Maphumulo Local Municipality, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-23, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maseko, Sulinkhundla & Karuaihe, Selma T. & Jourdain, Damien, 2023. "Impact of the adoption of residue retention on household maize yield in northern Zambia," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 18(1), May.
    2. Victor O. Abegunde & Ajuruchukwu Obi, 2022. "The Role and Perspective of Climate Smart Agriculture in Africa: A Scientific Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-15, February.
    3. Peng, Xin-Yu & Fu, Yu-Hao & Zou, Xing-Yun, 2024. "Gender equality and green development: A qualitative survey," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 3(1).
    4. Ajuruchukwu Obi & Okuhle Maya, 2021. "Innovative Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Practices in the Smallholder Farming System of South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Zakaria, Abraham & Azumah, Shaibu Baanni & Appiah-Twumasi, Mark & Dagunga, Gilbert, 2020. "Adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farm households in Ghana: The role of farmer participation in training programmes," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Khethiwe Naledi Mthethwa & Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi & Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo & Simphiwe Innocentia Hlatshwayo, 2022. "The Determinants of Adoption and Intensity of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices among Smallholder Maize Farmers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-17, December.
    7. Pomi Shahbaz & Azhar Abbas & Babar Aziz & Bader Alhafi Alotaibi & Abou Traore, 2022. "Nexus between Climate-Smart Livestock Production Practices and Farmers’ Nutritional Security in Pakistan: Exploring Level, Linkages, and Determinants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-22, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Sofina Maharjan & Olaf Erenstein, 2018. "Factors affecting the adoption of multiple climate‐smart agricultural practices in the Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(3), pages 141-158, August.
    2. Jeetendra P. Aryal & Arun Khatri‐Chhetri & Tek B. Sapkota & Dil B. Rahut & Olaf Erenstein, 2020. "Adoption and economic impacts of laser land leveling in the irrigated rice‐wheat system in Haryana, India using endogenous switching regression," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(3), pages 255-273, August.
    3. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Cathy R. Farnworth & Ritika Khurana & Srabashi Ray & Tek B. Sapkota & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2020. "Does women’s participation in agricultural technology adoption decisions affect the adoption of climate‐smart agriculture? Insights from Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 973-990, August.
    4. Scognamillo, Antonio & Sitko, Nicholas J., 2021. "Leveraging social protection to advance climate-smart agriculture: An empirical analysis of the impacts of Malawi’s Social Action Fund (MASAF) on farmers’ adoption decisions and welfare outcomes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    5. Wondimagegn Tesfaye & Garrick Blalock & Nyasha Tirivayi, 2021. "Climate‐Smart Innovations and Rural Poverty in Ethiopia: Exploring Impacts and Pathways," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(3), pages 878-899, May.
    6. Alexis Rampa & Yiorgos Gadanakis & Gillian Rose, 2020. "Land Reform in the Era of Global Warming—Can Land Reforms Help Agriculture Be Climate-Smart?," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-24, November.
    7. Otter, Verena & Deutsch, Maximilian, 2023. "Did policy lose sight of the wood for the trees? An UTAUT-based partial least squares estimation of farmers acceptance of innovative sustainable land use systems," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    8. Asfaw, Solomon & Lipper, Leslie, 2015. "Adaptation to Climate Change and its Impacts on Food Security: Evidence from Niger," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 225667, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Theriault, Veronique & Smale, Melinda & Haider, Hamza, 2017. "How Does Gender Affect Sustainable Intensification of Cereal Production in the West African Sahel? Evidence from Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 177-191.
    10. Awais Jabbar & Qun Wu & Jianchao Peng & Jian Zhang & Asma Imran & Luo Yao, 2020. "Synergies and Determinants of Sustainable Intensification Practices in Pakistani Agriculture," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-16, April.
    11. Bamlaku Ayenew Kassa & Abera Tilahun Abdi, 2022. "Factors Influencing the Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practice by Small-Scale Farming Households in Wondo Genet, Southern Ethiopia," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, September.
    12. Tschopp, Maurice & Ceddia, M. Graziano & Inguaggiato, Carla & Bardsley, Nicholas O. & Hernández, Hernán, 2020. "Understanding the adoption of sustainable silvopastoral practices in Northern Argentina: What is the role of land tenure?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    13. Nelson Mango & Clifton Makate & Lulseged Tamene & Powell Mponela & Gift Ndengu, 2018. "Adoption of Small-Scale Irrigation Farming as a Climate-Smart Agriculture Practice and Its Influence on Household Income in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-19, April.
    14. Ignaciuk, Ada & Malevolti, Giulia & Scognamillo, Antonio & Sitko, Nicholas J., 2022. "Can food aid relax farmers’ constraints to adopting climate-adaptive agricultural practices? Evidence from Ethiopia, Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania," ESA Working Papers 324073, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
    15. Verena Preusse & Nils Nölke & Meike Wollni, 2024. "Urbanization and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in the rural‐urban interface of Bangalore, India," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 72(2), pages 167-198, June.
    16. Ngango, Jules & Nkurunziza, Fabrice, 2021. "Estimating the Impact of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices on Household Productivity and Consumption in Rwanda: A Multinomial Endogenous Switching Regression," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315060, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Musa Hasen Ahmed & Kassahun Mamo Geleta & Aemro Tazeze & Hiwot Mekonnen Mesfin & Eden Andualem Tilahun, 2017. "Cropping systems diversification, improved seed, manure and inorganic fertilizer adoption by maize producers of eastern Ethiopia," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 6(1), pages 1-16, December.
    18. Brown, Brendan & Paudel, Gokul P. & Krupnik, Timothy J., 2021. "Visualising adoption processes through a stepwise framework: A case study of mechanisation on the Nepal Terai," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    19. L. Toma & A. P. Barnes & L.-A. Sutherland & S. Thomson & F. Burnett & K. Mathews, 2018. "Impact of information transfer on farmers’ uptake of innovative crop technologies: a structural equation model applied to survey data," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 864-881, August.
    20. Barooah, Prapti & Alvi, Muzna & Ringler, Claudia & Pathak, Vishal, 2023. "Gender, agriculture policies, and climate-smart agriculture in India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2019:i:1:p:195-:d:301864. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.