Factors Influencing the Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices in Maryland, USA

The rapidly growing population and changing climate underscore the urgent need for identifying and adopting sustainable agricultural practices to ensure the food security of the growing population while also mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on agricultural production and productivity. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a feasible solution that ensures improved agrarian productivity, enhances crop resilience, and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite these benefits, the adoption of CSA practices by small-scale producers remains low. Literature focusing on the factors that influence the adoption of CSA practices, particularly in the context of the United States, is limited. This study examined the demographic, socioeconomic, institutional, and knowledge and skills-related factors influencing the adoption of CSA practices among Maryland farmers. Three Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Regression models were employed using survey data collected from 37 Maryland farmers (n = 37) in 2025. The results revealed that race, farm type (i.e., nature of farming operation based on farm sales), farm scale, and understanding of how to adopt CSA practices were significantly associated with the number of adopted CSA practices. Farmers who sold some of their surplus produce, practiced commercial farming, and had a good understanding of how to implement CSA practices adopted significantly more CSA practices than their counterparts. In contrast, white farmers and small-scale farmers adopted fewer CSA practices. These study findings underscore the importance of considering these factors while designing programs and policies to improve the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.