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Pathways to adoption and mitigation: A dynamic perspective on good agricultural practices in Rural Malawi.
Nancy McCarthy1, Giuseppe Maggio2, Romina Cavatassi3
1LEAD Analytics, 5136 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States.
Journal of Environmental Management
|October 4, 2024
Summary
Information dissemination significantly boosts adoption of climate-resilient farming practices for smallholder farmers. However, the effectiveness of learning mechanisms and climatic conditions varies by practice type, highlighting the need for flexible solutions.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Economics
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Development Studies
Background:
- Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa face challenges in adopting climate-resilient practices.
- Limited adoption hinders resilience to weather shocks and climate change mitigation.
- Understanding adoption dynamics is crucial for effective agricultural development programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the dynamics of adopting good agricultural practices in Malawi.
- To assess how information dissemination, learning mechanisms, and climatic conditions influence adoption pathways.
- To identify factors driving adoption decisions for climate change adaptation strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized three-wave panel data from the Sustainable Agricultural Production Programme (SAPP) in Malawi.
- Employed adoption pathway trees to visualize adoption patterns.
- Conducted a multinomial logit model to analyze factors influencing adoption categories.
Main Results:
- Information dissemination and broader learning opportunities significantly increased adoption likelihood.
- Climatic conditions and learning by observing had limited impact on general adoption.
- For land-intensive practices, drought/heavy rainfall areas and learning by observing enhanced adoption, while information sharing had less impact.
Conclusions:
- Information dissemination is vital for promoting climate-resilient agriculture, but its mechanism varies by practice type.
- Farmer adoption pathways are flexible, with many households not adopting continuously.
- Promoting flexible practices that enhance resilience to climate change is essential for smallholder farmers.
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