This study compares the benefits of using digestate and compost in Burkina Faso. A mathematical programming model was used to simulate the advantages under three scenarios. The baseline scenario reflected the typical situation of farmers, followed by the introduction of digestate and compost as soil amendments. The model applied these to improve poor soils and recover fallow land. As a result, the production of maize, cotton, rice, millet and sorghum increased, while groundnut cultivation and fallow land decreased. Gains were most notable with digestate. During poor cropping seasons, income rose by 238% with digestate and by 132% with compost. During good seasons, income increased by 164% and 98%, respectively. The use of digestate and compost helped reduce poverty and promote food security, although credit and labour constraints remain important considerations.

Climate change poses significant threats to agriculture and livelihoods, particularly in developing regions. This study investigates the impacts of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) services on farmers’ resilience in the Gubalafto district of Ethiopia. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design; data were collected from 355 randomly surveyed households. Principal component analysis and multinomial endogenous switching regression were employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that 44% of the households had a low resilience capacity index (RCI), whereas 37% and 19% had medium and high RCIs, respectively. About 21.13%, 23%, 15% and 10% of households were classified as single, partial, multiple and full adopters, respectively. Adopters of partial, multiple and full practices experienced increases in resilience capacity of 7.4%, 12% and 17%, respectively. Households that adopted more diverse combinations of CSA practices were more resilient than non-adopters. Thus, enhancing adoption levels and capability aspects should be the primary goal of any intervention.

This study examines determinants of food loss and waste behaviour among farming households in western Nigeria. Stratified and systematic random sampling was used to select 300 cases of primary data collected in two periods of late and early rain, respectively. Data were analysed using the food loss and waste (FLW) index and simultaneous equation model. The FLW index was 0.48, with food loss at 0.18 and food waste at 0.3. The simultaneous regression results revealed the drivers of food loss/waste to be household size, education, dependency ratio and non-expenses on food. A 10% increase in food expenses enhances FLW by 0.89% for the food poor and by 0.49% in the moderately food non-poor. Transition households experiencing food security had a strong correlation with low FLW. As income generation declines over time, food-secure households experience an increase in food insecurity and FLW. Thus, we recommend a policy on FLW reduction and a more varied occupational structure that can add value to labour time for reasonable income support.

In this paper, we establish a link between crop productivity, crop market participation and agricultural technology use among smallholder farmers. We utilise the latest four waves of the Uganda National Panel Survey – 2013/2014, 2015/2016, 2018/2019, and 2019/2020. First, we test for the complementarity of agricultural technology use among smallholder farmers, but we find no evidence for the combined effect of organic and inorganic fertilisers, as well as pesticides and organic fertilisers, on crop yields, which depicts a lack of complementarity. However, we find a strong individual effect of organic fertilisers on cassava, beans and coffee yields. Second, we use a two-step factor analysis to construct four technology sub-indexes for improved seeds, pesticides, organic and inorganic fertilisers in the first step, and the overall agricultural technology index in the second step. The results reaffirm the positive effect of agricultural technology use on cassava and coffee yields. Third, when we measure crop productivity as farm productivity, we find that a unit increase in inorganic fertilisers increases farm productivity by 69%. However, we do not see this strong effect of inorganic fertilisers on our partial measure of crop productivity – crop yields. Lastly, we show that crop yields are the most critical for market participation.

This study analyses the effects of the policy regulating soybean sales on producer performance in Benin from 1990 to 2023, focusing on production supply and net farm income. Through an econometric analysis of time-series data, the results reveal a positive and statistically significant effect of this policy on both the supply and income of producers. Unexpectedly, the study highlights a positive correlation between rising current production costs and increased supply and income, suggesting that investments in higher-quality inputs and technologies, even if costly, can drive producer performance. These complex dynamics underscore the need for regular policy adjustments to balance market stabilisation, producer protection, and the promotion of sustainable productive investments.

In Ethiopia, wheat cluster farming has gained popularity in recent years due to its potential to transform the agricultural sector and improve the livelihoods of wheat producers. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of cluster farming on the wheat output and input commercialisation level. The study was conducted in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, using household-level survey data collected from 383 wheat-producing farm households selected through multistage sampling during the 2022/2023 production year. Descriptive statistics and the endogenous switching regression (ESR) model, supported by propensity score matching (PSM), were employed for data analysis. The results of the model show that the education status of the farm household head, access to formal credit services, frequency of extension contacts, distance from rural all-weather roads, wheat farm size, land fragmentation (index), livestock size (TLU), cluster farming awareness and distance of the farm to the nearby wheat cluster farms significantly influence farm household participation in wheat cluster farming. In addition, producing wheat in a cluster farming approach has a positive effect on wheat output and input commercialisation levels, and the PSM result ensures that the results are robust. The estimated average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) for wheat output and input commercialisation was 5.0% and 3.1%, respectively, while the average treatment effect on the untreated (ATU) was 1.9% and 0.4%, and the transitional heterogeneity (TH) 3.1% and 2.6%, respectively. All effects were positive and statistically significant, confirming the positive effect of the cluster farming approach on both wheat output and input commercialisation. Therefore, government and non-government policies and interventions should focus on enhancing smallholder farmers’ participation in wheat cluster farming to improve their livelihoods through increased wheat output and input commercialisation.

This study examines the extent to which, in the Sahelian environment – where the scarcity of forage is intensifying – climate change perceptions influence the adoption of cottonseed cake among livestock producers in the Hauts-Bassins region of Burkina Faso. Based on the subjective expected utility (SEU) framework, and a logit model estimated with survey data from 366 households, the analysis highlights the role of both perceptual and structural factors in shaping adoption decisions. The results show that herders who perceive climate change as a driver of pasture degradation have a 7.5 percentage point higher probability of adopting cottonseed cake compared to those who do not share this perception. Beyond perceptions, household resources and enabling conditions also matter. Access to credit, income and membership of producer associations significantly raise the likelihood of adoption, while pastoral status and greater distance from supply points reduce it. Education and regular contact with extension agents further strengthen adoption capacity, although with varying levels of significance. Overall, the findings suggest that adaptation decisions are not driven solely by technical or financial constraints. They are equally influenced by how producers interpret environmental changes in their production context. Policy interventions aiming to promote resilient livestock systems should therefore combine improved access to inputs and services with strategies that account for producers’ perceptions of climate change.

This study examines how climate variability affects agricultural productivity and economic growth in Nigeria using time-series data from 1960 to 2024. The analysis applies trend examination, cointegration testing, vector error-correction models (VECM), mediation analysis, structural break tests and Markov switching models to evaluate dynamic linkages between climate variables, crop and livestock output, and GDP. The results show that crop productivity significantly mediates the relationship between climate and economic growth, while livestock plays a minimal role. Short-run rainfall and humidity shocks reduce output, while temperature exerts a positive long-run influence. Structural breaks align with key policy and climate transitions. The study recommends targeted investment in irrigation, high-quality seeds and early warning systems to build climate resilience in crop production and improve the sector’s economic contribution.

While irrigation is key to boosting agricultural productivity in Burkina Faso, it may come with hidden health costs. Drawing on data from over 1 000 households in the Sourou Valley and using propensity score matching, this study uncovers the unintended consequences of irrigation for public health. Households practising irrigation experience 3.5 to 3.8 more cases of illness annually and spend up to CFA 27 915 more on healthcare compared to rain-fed farmers. These impacts are linked to stagnant water and unsafe chemical use. The findings highlight the urgent need for integrated policies that combine agricultural gains with improved sanitation, safe input practices, and environmental safeguards. Balancing productivity and health is essential for sustainable rural development.

This study applied the zero-inefficiency stochastic frontier (ZISF) to analyse the technical efficiency of 333 improved rice-farming households for the 2012/2013 farming season in Ghana. The ZISF accommodates fully efficient rice farms alongside technically inefficient farms under a common production technology. The results revealed that 39% of rice farms were fully technically efficient, with zero inefficiency within a common production frontier. The mean technical efficiency estimate amongst the inefficient farms was 67.8%, implying that these rice farms could increase their output by 32% without changing the levels of inputs used, if they improved their efficiency and operated on the production frontier. There were increasing returns to scale (1.65), with farm size, seed, labour and fertiliser having a positive effect on rice output. Similarly, controlling rice field water levels through levelling and bunding, and weeding the rice field at least two times during the production season, increased technical efficiency. The study recommends cultivation of improved rice varieties, fertiliser application, expanding acreage and easing labour constraints to increase rice output, together with weeding and managing plot water levels to improve efficiency in rice production. Specifically, Ghana’s ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme should expand access to improved rice varieties, fertiliser use, agricultural mechanisation services and other labour-saving technologies to enhance rice output. In addition, the agricultural extension service should be well resourced to disseminate best practices in rice cultivation to farmers.