Unpacking the behavioral intentions of ‘emergent farmers’ towards mechanized conservation agriculture in Zambia

Conservation Agriculture (CA) continues to gain relevance among small and medium-scale farmers in African countries, including Zambia, in response to food insecurity and the adverse effects of climate change. The rise in the number of market-oriented farmers, known as ‘emergent farmers,’ who acquire and utilize tractors and associated implements for agricultural production, has brought new dynamism to Zambian agriculture. While prior studies emphasize the significance of considering socio-economic and psychological factors in understanding farmers’ adoption decisions, the underlying socio-economic and psychological determinants influencing emergent farmers’ interest in CA have not been explored. This study examined the behavioral intentions of Zambian emergent farmers concerning Mechanized Conservation Agriculture (MCA) using the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior constructs: attitudes, perceived behavior control, subjective norms, and farmers’ background factors. We surveyed 119 emergent farmers from selected districts and analyzed their responses through descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. We employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the relationships among behavioral constructs (attitude, perceived behavioral control, and social norms) and the intention to adopt MCA. The results indicated that the positive attitude of Zambian emergent farmers had a significant impact (path coefficient = 0.24) on their intention (mean = 4.51) to adopt MCA on at least part of their farms. Perceived behavioral control, which measures perceived ability, resources, and skills for practicing MCA, also had a significant impact on intention (path coefficient = 0.37). Factors such as media influence, social influence, technical training, and extension services had positive but insignificant effects on farmers’ intention to adopt MCA. Background factors, including overall farm size, farmer’s age, area under CA, and years of CA use, showed a positive and significant correlation with farmers’ intention to adopt MCA. These findings underscore the crucial socio-psychological facets of emergent farmers, which can be valuable for policymakers and practitioners aiming to harness their potential in promoting and enhancing sustainable agricultural approaches like MCA in Zambia.