Positive deviance in adaptation to climate change through farmer-led practices in the Ethiopian Highlands

This study explored the potential of the Positive Deviance (PD) theory to support an approach focused on improved management of adaptation knowledge of livestock keepers to improve climate resilience in their communities through social learning. In the Ethiopian Highlands, frost, hail, and shifting rainfall patterns have rendered crop farming unreliable. Farmers increasingly rely on short-term livestock investments such as sheep fattening, as an adaptation strategy. The study was conducted in two districts in the Ethiopian Highlands. Using a mixed-methods approach, 34 local innovators were identified through participatory workshops and interviews, and four positive deviant pioneer households were selected for an in-depth study. Monthly data were collected on sheep weight, body condition scores, feed, and grazing practices, complemented by semi-structured interviews and farmer-to-farmer field days. The iterative learning process enabled pioneer households to better understand the power of their own knowledge, improve their practices and share knowledge through farmer-to-farmer interactions, fostering mutual learning and changing their self-perception to that of community facilitators. Findings highlight the importance of integrating the PD theory into an approach supporting local extension for developing technologies with farmers. By focusing on farmer-led innovations and their ability to adapt and implement existing technologies, this approach offers a promising pathway for reframing how research and extension services engage with farmers’ climate action-related knowledge and innovations in highland farming systems.