Abstract:
Climate-smart agriculture is expected to play a key role in tackling climate-related challenges
to agricultural livelihoods and food systems. However, the implementation of these programs
involving efficient, sustainable, and productivity-enhancing technologies and their adoption
rate has remained low, particularly among small-scale farmers. The purpose of the study was
to analyze determinants of climate-smart agricultural practices adoption in Toke Kutaye
district, West Showa Zone, Oromia National Regional State. A multi-stage sampling technique
was used to select 384 smallholder farmers. Both quantitative and qualitative data were
collected from primary and secondary sources. The data were collected through a household
survey, a focus group discussion, and a key informant interview. The data were analyzed using
descriptive statistics and an econometric model. A multivariate probit model was applied to
analyze the determinants of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices by
smallholder farmers. The results of this study indicated that smallholder farmers have
adequate awareness about: adoption of CSA practices increases yield and is important to
secure food; CSA is needed to control temperature; CSA is needed to mitigate climate change
and variability; and income and livelihoods improved and diversified after adoption of CSA
practices. The results of the study revealed that the smallholder farmers adopted CSAP such
as soil and water conservation, animal manure, agroforestry, crop diversification, and
irrigation. The results of the multivariate probit model confirmed that level of education,
income, land size, access to credit, access to training, association membership, frequency of
extension (Extn) contact, and perception of household head had a positive and significant
influence on CSAP by smallholder farmers. On the other hand, the age of household heads
and distance to the market had a negative and statistically significant influence on the
adoption of CSAP. The study concluded that, even though the smallholder farmers have
awareness about climate-smart agriculture and has adopted some climate-smart agriculture
in the study area, this is not satisfactory. It is recommended that providing capacity building,
increasing extension contact, facilitating credit services, and providing access to training can
enhance the adoption of climate agriculture in the study area
