What Factors Influence Cardamom Farmers to Adopt a Range of Climate-Resilient Practices?

The hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal provide a suitable environment for the cultivation of large cardamom, a high-value cash crop with significant global market potential. However, climate change poses significant threats to its production and the livelihoods of farmers dependent on this crop. To cope with these challenges, adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices is essential, particularly among smallholder farmers of rural communities. However, the extent of their implementation remains largely unknown. We surveyed 158 households in Ilam and Tehrathum districts to assess the adoption intensity of climate-resilient practices among large cardamom farmers using the Ordered Probit Model. Findings revealed considerable variation in the adoption intensity of climate-resilient practices. Traditional practices like tillering, weeding, and irrigation were highly adopted, while more innovative, knowledge-intensive methods were less adopted. Education was found to have a positive influence on the high adoption intensity of climate-resilient practices. Each additional unit of year of schooling increases the probability of high adoption of practices by 3.4%. Membership in farmers’ groups increases the likelihood of high adoption by 12.9%, while labor availability and regular extension contact rises by 21.9% and 17.8%, respectively. Similarly, age shows a smaller but significant effect, increasing adoption by 0.5% at p -value = 0.08. The use of traditional practices is common; however, the uptake of scientifically recommended practices for climate resilience remains limited. Policy initiatives focusing on farmer education, promoting farmer organizations, addressing labor shortages, and strengthening extension services are important for enhancing resilience in the large cardamom sector of Nepal.