Multilevel factors shaping the adoption of agroecological practices: evidence from small-scale market gardening in Senegal

Conventional farming threatens human health and the environment in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the market gardening sector. Agroecological practices offer a sustainable alternative; however, their adoption remains low. This paper fills a critical research gap by examining the factors driving agroecological adoption among small-scale market gardeners in Senegal. We consider for the first time bundled practices, multilevel influences on farmers’ decisions, and cross-data approaches. In 2020, we surveyed 107 farmers and 20 key food system informants in the Groundnut Basin. We initially applied descriptive statistics to explore the data and then leveraged probit models to analyze the factors affecting adoption. This is the first study to reveal that adoption rates vary significantly – from 27% to 86% – depending on the type of practice concerned (mixed cropping, mulching, pit planting, liquid organic fertilizer, etc.). Over 80% of farmers combine at least three practices. We also demonstrate that multilevel factors shape adoption decisions, including gender, transport, and training. Farm and territorial determinants exert a stronger influence on bundled adoption than on single-practice adoption. Our findings offer concrete recommendations to scale agroecology in Senegalese farming systems, calling for holistic, location-specific, and incentive policies tailor-made by various actors to address factors that hinder adoption.