Factors influencing the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices for rice cultivation in Southeast Asia: a review

The study analyzed adoption of sustainable agricultural practices among plantain farmers in Yenagoa agricultural zone of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Purposive and multi-stage random sampling techniques were used to select 100 plantain farmers from ten communities in the study area. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as (ANOVA) and multiple regression analysis. The findings showed that plantain farmers had a mean age of 39 years, 54.0% of plantain farmers were females while 46.0% were females. The result shows that planting time (82.0%), spacing (79.0%), pruning (65.0%) and new varieties (53.0%) were the various sustainable agricultural practices provided by extension in the study area. The study further shows that sucker multiplication ( = 2.76), post-harvest ( =2.60) and types of suckers ( = 2.28) were the sustainable agricultural practices adopted by plantain farmers. Plantain farmers were aware of the following sustainable agricultural practices provided by extension: spacing (100%), pruning (99%), planting time (97%), mulching (77.0%) and staking (61.0%). The study also shows that extension was effective in result demonstration ( =3.32), agricultural extension visit ( = 3.05), number of trainings ( =2.99), method demonstration ( =2.81), research extension linkage ( =2.77) and number of meetings scheduled that held ( =2.61). The ANOVA result showed that there was significant difference in the effectiveness of extension in sustainable agricultural practices dissemination among plantain farmers in the study area at 5% level of significance. The multiple regression analysis revealed that age (3.626***) and household size (4.165***) influenced the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices at 1% level of significance while marital status (2.578**), income (2.519**) and farm size (2.641**) influenced the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices at 5% level of significance. The study concluded that there was high level of adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by plantain farmers in the study area. Hence, it recommends that extension should vigorously promote the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices for increased plantain production.

The adoption and diffusion of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) has become an important issue in the development‐policy agenda for sub‐Saharan Africa, especially as a way to tackle land degradation, low agricultural productivity and poverty. However, the adoption rates of SAPs remain below expected levels. This study analyses the factors that facilitate or impede the probability and level of adoption of interrelated SAPs, using recent data from multiple plot‐level observations in rural Ethiopia. Multivariate and ordered probit models are applied to the modelling of adoption decisions by farm households facing multiple SAPs, which can be adopted in various combinations. The results show that there is a significant correlation between SAPs, suggesting that adoptions of SAPs are interrelated. The analysis further shows that both the probability and the extent of adoption of SAPs are influenced by many factors: a household’s trust in government support, credit constraints, spouse education, rainfall and plot‐level disturbances, household wealth, social capital and networks, labour availability, plot and market access. These results imply that policy‐makers and development practitioners should seek to strengthen local institutions and service providers, maintain or increase household asset bases and establish and strengthen social protection schemes in order to improve the adoption of SAPs.

The study was conducted with the broad objective of determining the level of adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) among farmers in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Multistage, random, and systematic sampling procedures were employed to select 160 respondents for the study. The collected data were analyzed using relevant descriptive and inferential statistics suitable for each objective. The result showed that majority of the respondents were females who were married, having a mean age of 43 years and mean number of years of experience of 17. Majority of them acquired secondary school education while practicing Christianity and were engaged in the production of both crops and animals (mixed farming), having mean farm size of 0.8 ha in scattered plots and mean annual income of N71,400 which was regarded as low income. Most of the farmers were not members to any farmers’ cooperative society. The predominant SAPs adopted included crop rotation, compost manure, and use of tolerant varieties. Furthermore, socioeconomic characteristics of the rural farmers were observed to have strong influence on adoption of SAPs by the farmers. The constraints to the adoption of SAPs among farmers were socioeconomic, political, and institutional. The null hypothesis tested using F-test was rejected at 5% level of significance. Consequently, it was concluded that socioeconomic characteristics of farmers actually influenced adoption of SAPs, though there were identified constraints that limited the level of adoption of such SAPs which if mitigated will improve adoption of the SAPs. Based on the study findings, the policy recommendations were that relevant agencies should ensure vigorous dissemination of information to farmers on available windows to low interest rate agricultural credit facilities by the government; reform in land tenure system should be facilitated to support adoption of SAPs; Nigerian agricultural extension program should be restructured to reflect sustainable agricultural context and emphasis; and farmers should be encouraged to seek meteorological information to minimize risks from adverse weather conditions. This will encourage adoption of SAPs and ensure that maximum result is achieved.

This study was aimed to identify the factors that influence smallholder farmers’ decisions to adopt four different sustainable agricultural practices (i.e. improved variety, manure, soil and water conservation practices and herbicide) and the impact on income of smallholder farmers in Somodo watershed, Jimma zone. Multistage sampling procedure that involves a combination of purposive and random sampling procedures was employed. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 118 smallholder farmers in the watershed where integrated watershed management interventions were implemented by Jimma Agricultural Research Center from 2011-2018. A questionnaire was administered to the 118 selected smallholder farmers and quantitative data type were collected and used in this study. Descriptive statistics, a multivariate probit and Endogenous switching regression model were used to analyze the data. The study result shows that 25.51% of farmers apply manure on their farm plots in the watershed. Improved variety, soil and water management practices and herbicide are adopted by 35.63%, 42.91% and 12.15% of farmers, respectively. The finding of the study revealed that adoption of sustainable agricultural practices were determined by sex, age, cultivated land size, technical advice, tropical livestock unit, distance to main market, distance to agricultural extension agent office, plot distance, medium soil fertility, medium slope of land and red color of soil. The study concluded that the adoption of different sustainable agricultural practices in combination had a positive impact on income of smallholder farmers and their adoption was influenced by socioeconomic, institutional, and soil characteristics. Therefore, it is recommended that all stakeholders should pay due attention to empowering farmers to use different sustainable agricultural practices; improve soil health, increase crop productivity and income. The positive effect of technical advice on sustainable agricultural practice’s adoption suggests the need for increased accessibility of practical training mainly on preparing manure and compost, soil and water conservation practices and use of improved crops varieties.

Food insecurity, financial loss, and a decline in agricultural output are among the significant challenges to the global food chain caused by extreme climatic events, high variability and change, rapid urbanization, and land degradation. Therefore, it is essential to explore alternative, sustainable agricultural practices to meet the growing population’s food needs. Sustainable agriculture is foundational to farm management, rural development, and water conservation. This includes sustainable practices such as crop rotation, intercropping, and planting crops with varying rooting depths to maximize soil moisture absorption, as well as mulching to improve nutrient recycling and enhance productivity in smallholder cropping systems. The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices has become a priority for smallholder farmers, policymakers, extension agents, and agricultural experts to improve agricultural productivity, contribute to food security, and generate income. However, adoption rates have been slow, especially in Southern Africa, due to a lack of access to technology, financial constraints, limited information, and limited knowledge. This review was conducted using a comprehensive literature search on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by legume smallholders, examining various factors that contribute to the failure of legume smallholder farmers to adopt new agricultural practices. The timeframe of the reviewed literature was from 2010 to 2024. The results showed that smallholder farmers face numerous challenges, including limited access to technology, inadequate knowledge, and insufficient financial resources. Research conducted by the Water Research Commission (WRC) indicates that commercial farmers have access to technology, and this group of farmers possesses more substantial financial resources compared to smallholder farmers. In the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. It is essential to strengthen the linkage between researchers, agricultural extension, and legume smallholder farmers to promote sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs). Smallholder farmers must be informed about such interventions and sustainable agricultural practices to improve rural livelihoods and enhance resilience, adaptation, and responsiveness.

Adoption of sustainable practices in agriculture is crucial for ensuring the long-term viability of farming systems, protecting the environment, and promoting food security and economic prosperity for future generations. If the sustainable practices are not aligned with farmers’ needs, adoption status may likely to be low. To investigate the adoption behavior of farmers in the different dimensions of sustainable practices, a study was conducted in Manipur during November 2021 to July 2023. The data was gathered from randomly selected 320 respondents. The findings highlighted that the highest adopted sustainable agricultural practices was MW (manual weeding) and CR (crop rotation). Most of the respondents belonged to the medium level of adoption with a 51.53 adoption index. Using binary logistic regression, the effect of independent variables on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices was tested. The model exhibits below moderate relationships, predicting 25.00 per cent of decisions to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, which can be explained by the independent variables. Furthermore, out of the eleven variables, seven variables were importantly influenced on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Boosting farmers’ confidence through technology demonstration, awareness campaigns about the benefits of sustainable technology, and implementing a well-designed, user-friendly interface with feedback mechanisms can significantly enhance adoption rates.

An adoption spectrum for sustainable agriculture practices: A new framework applied to cover crop adoption

The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices at the farm level is essential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and creating sustainable food systems. This study explored the nexus of women’s empowerment in agriculture and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in Pakistan. A face-to-face survey using multistage simple random and purposive sampling techniques was used to collect the data from 384 Pakistani women farmers. A partial least-squares structural equation model was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that empowering women in agricultural asset control (β = 0.38, p < 0.01) positively influences the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices on farms. Similarly, women’s empowerment in decision-making (β = 0.41, p < 0.01) also significantly affects the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Moreover, women’s empowerment in legal rights (β = 0.14, p < 0.01), productivity and skills (β = 0.15, p < 0.01), and information and communication technology (β = 0.19, p = 0.02) significantly increases farm-level adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

Sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) that lead to an increase in productivity are central to the acceleration of economic growth; this will alleviate poverty and help to overcome the recurrent food shortages that affect millions of households in Africa. However, the adoption rates of SAPs remain below expected levels. This paper analyzes the factors that facilitate or impede the probability and level of adoption of interrelated SAPs, using recent data of multiple plot-level observations. Multivariate and ordered probit models are applied to the modeling of adoption decisions by farm households facing multiple SAPs which can be adopted in various combinations. The results show that there is a significant correlation between SAPs, suggesting that adoptions of SAPs are interrelated. The analysis further shows that both the probability and the level of decisions to adopt SAPs are influenced by many factors: a household’s trust in government support, credit constraint, spouse education, rainfall and plot-level disturbances, household wealth, social capital and networks, including the number of traders known by a farmer in his vicinity, his participation in rural institutions, and the number of relatives he has inside and outside his village, labor availability, and plot and market access. These results imply that policy makers and development practitioners whose aims are to strengthen local institutions and service providers, maintain or increase household asset bases, and establish and strengthen social protection schemes, can speed up the adoption of SAPs.

Conventional agriculture systems of production often lead to environmental degradation, economic problems and even social conflict. The efficacy of agriculture systems conducive to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of farming operations has been demonstrated, yet the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is not widespread. This qualitative study is based on a web-based survey instrument designed to elicit the barriers to adoption of sustainable agriculture practices (SAP) perceived by a positional and network sample of 269 change agents working with farmers in the US South. The analysis examines the general proposition that reluctance to change to SAP is an overused rationale of change agents that tends to mask real barriers that we endeavor to elicit in the survey. It was found that despite having support from technical assistance providers, farmers are rarely adopting SAP. Change agents often are not well prepared to attend to farmers' needs regarding SAP, particularly the needs of specific farming situations. Thus, farmers often struggle to obtain accurate information about the benefits of SAP. Government support programs often fail to encourage adoption due to lack of funding, inappropriate design and ineffective targeting of incentives. Reluctance to change is frequently mentioned by change agents, but more as a way of blaming farmers for nonadoption than explaining the often tangible reasons for their behaviors. Social barriers, land tenure, infrastructure and incompatibility are other significant impediments to adoption. Strategies such as improved management of the existing information, careful design of economic support programs and extension efforts addressed to change agents themselves could help overcome some of the barriers identified by change agents.

A taxonomy of barriers to the adoption of sustainable practices in the coffee farming process

Towards sustainability in the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices: Implications on household poverty, food and nutrition security

Managing natural resources, and at the same time increasing productivity in agriculture, is the thrust of research and extension all over the world. Achieving long-term food security without depleting natural resources can be achieved by adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Sustainable agricultural practices, or agriculture per se, seek the wider adoption of practices that are ecologically sound and maintain the long-term ecological and biological integrity of natural resources. Sustainable practices in agriculture include integrated pest management, integrated nutrient management, soil conservation and water management, among others. Much of the dynamics of the diffusion process of sustainable agricultural practices, for adoption or rejection of these practices, can be analysed and understood on the basis of sound understanding of diffusion and adoption theory. The diffusion researchers have mostly analysed farmers’ differences in analysing adoption or rejection of innovation/technology. Very little attention has been paid to technology attributes or technology inappropriateness. In this chapter, we have analysed factors impacting diffusion and adoption of sustainable natural resource management practices in agriculture and different models that can be employed to predict adoption or rejection, in future times. The researchers involved in an innovation development process should consider factors propelling adoption or rejection before commercialisation of a technology. Diffusion researchers need to employ alternative field experimental before-after designs, in which data are gathered at different points in time rather than post hoc data collection, to overcome farmer blame and pro-technology biases. We are of the firm belief that diffusion of innovation research must be given full recognition by research and development, and change agencies involved in agricultural sciences.

The importance of adopting Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) approach to improve food production cannot be overemphasized in policy development and research agenda of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates how socio-demographic factors influence farm-level decision process associated with the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices among smallholder farmers in Ogun State. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 196 farmers. Primary data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Likert scale rating and multivariate probit model. The results showed that majority of the farmers were male with mean age of 35 years cultivating an average farm size of 5.8 hectares. The use of improved variety was adopted by 95.41% and this was rank first among the practices adopted by the farmers. Agroforestry was rank second and adopted by 85.71% of the respondents. The extent of adoption by the respondents showed that 94.39 and 72.45 were practicing the use of improved variety and agroforestry regularly. The factors influencing adoption of sustainable practices were age, education, farm size, farming experience and membership of social organization. The result further revealed that young farmers are more likely to adopt sustainable agricultural practices as option to increase productivity and reduce vulnerability of environment to ecological problems. This suggests that campaign for adoption of sustainable agricultural practices should target young farmers. However, this is not to discriminate older farmers in the sustainable agriculture policy agenda. The study established that there are complementary and substitute effects between the sustainable agricultural practices. This showed that policy changes that affect adoption of a given practice can have spillover effect on the other. Hence, extension services and promotion agenda should always emphasize the effects between different practices to enhance farmers’ choice.

The Paddy-Cattle Integrated Farming System (PCIFS) is one of the dominant farming systems in the dry zone, Sri Lanka which contributes to the well-being of small-scale farmers. These systems are subjected to high risk and uncertainty uttered by poor productivity and food insecurity related issues. Hence, the study aimed at investigating the impacts of adoption for sustainable agricultural practices on household food security in PCIFS in Anuradhapura district. A survey was employed to gather data from 300 randomly selected paddy-cattle integrated farmers. Descriptive and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Farming experience, age of respondents, income from milk, awareness on sustainable agricultural practices, training participation and gender were identified as the factors affecting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Further, household income (p&lt;0.1), age, farming experience, and adoption for sustainable agricultural practices significantly (p&lt;0.05) affected on the Food Consumption Score while household size (p&lt;0.1), access to credits, and adoption for sustainable agricultural practices significantly (p&lt;0.05) influenced the Household Food Insecurity Access Score. The study concludes that the adoption for sustainable agricultural practices ensure sustainable and food secured farming systems in the Anuradhapura district. The results suggest the importance of promoting sustainable agricultural practices among the paddy-cattle integrated farmers.