Adoption and intensity of climate smart agriculture practices: The case of smallholder farmers in East Hararghe Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Climate change is a hot agenda among researchers and policymakers worldwide since it is seriously affecting the majority of the rural livelihoods that rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture. Climate smart agriculture practices (CSAPs) can address the adverse effects of climate change. Nevertheless, the rate of CSAPs adoption is quite low and varies across developing countries, particularly Ethiopia. Hence, this study identified determinants of CSAPs adoption and the intensity of these CSAPs across smallholder farmers of Ethiopia in general and particularly in the study area of the East Hararghe Zone of the Oromia Region. These CSAPs include crop-small ruminant livestock integration, sweet potato intercropping, electric water pumps, organic fertilizer, and sorghum seed varieties. The data about these CSAPs was collected from 422 households through questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric models. The econometric analysis showed significant variables that influence CSAPs adoption and its intensity by applying the multivariate probit and ordered probit models, respectively. The study found that factors such as farm experience, family size, membership in a social group, and extension contact positively influence the adoption of CSAPs, whereas market and plot distance negatively affect smallholder farmers' adoption of CSAPs. Moreover, the ordered probit model revealed the factors determining the intensity of CSAPs adoption. The age of the household head, market distance, plot distance, soil fertility, and agroecology negatively affected the intensity of CSAPs adoption, while experience, social group, extension contact, perception of climate change, and climate information positively affected the adoption of CSAPs intensity. The study suggests that the policymaker should pay attention to the identified prioritized practices, recognized by local farmers as CSAPs, in order to promote sustainable agricultural practices and understand factors that shape the implementation of CSAPs among poor-resource-based farmers.