Abstract
Smallholder farmers in East Africa need information and knowledge on appropriate climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices, technologies, and institutional innovations in order to effectively adapt to changing climatic conditions and cope with climate variability. This paper assesses farmer adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and innovation after being exposed to Farms of the Future Approach (FotF). First; we explore and assess the various CSA technologies and practices; including institutional innovations farmers are adopting. Second; we identify and document farmer learning and dissemination pathways that can enhance adoption of CSA technologies and practices. Third; we identify existing institutions that enhance adoption of CSA practices. We use household survey data, complemented by qualitative information from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The results show farmers are adopting a variety of CSA technologies, practices, and institutional innovations to after participating in the FotF approach with use of improved crop varieties, agroforestry, and scientific weather forecast information cited as the main practices. To minimize their risks and reduce vulnerabilities, farmers are diversifying and integrating five to 10 CSA practices in one season. Matengo pits, SACCOs, and efficient energy stoves were adopted by very few farmers due to their high initial investment costs and unsuitability to the area. Ninety-eight percent of farmers reported that they receive agricultural information orally from a variety of sources including government extension workers, seed companies, researchers, traditional experts, neighbors, radio agricultural shows, religious groups, farmer groups, and family members. Lastly, farmers reported that the FotF approach is a useful tool that enabled them to interact with other farmers and learn new CSA practices and innovations. Suggested improvements to make on the FotF included include longer trip duration, increased number of farmer participants, and gender balance and age considerations to include youth.
Highlights
Projected and observed impacts of climate change on agriculture, food security, and poverty are raising global concerns
Rural communities in East Africa mainly depend on rain-fed small-scale agriculture for their livelihood, it is extremely vulnerable to changes in climate and climate variability
We examine the most important climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices used in Lushoto, and if they differ by gender
Summary
Projected and observed impacts of climate change on agriculture, food security, and poverty are raising global concerns. In East Africa, small-scale agricultural production is already under pressure. Rural communities in East Africa mainly depend on rain-fed small-scale agriculture for their livelihood, it is extremely vulnerable to changes in climate and climate variability. Adaptive capacity is defined as the capacity of a community to reconfigure itself in the face of climate change without substantial decreases in function [6]. It is closely associated with the ability to learn, innovate, and cooperate in order to maximize group learning and shared benefits. Climate resilience in the context of rural agricultural-dependent communities is comprised of ecological resilience, social resilience, and economic resilience [7]
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