Designing effective digital-based delivery of climate information for smallholder farmers: a mini meta-analysis on drivers and barriers

Providing climate information services (CIS) to smallholder farmers using digital tools is widely considered to be one of the promising ways to increase the adoption of climate information (CI). However, digital-based CI adoption among smallholder farmers in developing countries remains low. Consequently, several previous studies identify multiple hypotheses about why smallholder farmers adopt digital-based CI or not. Nevertheless, very little is known about the common drivers or barriers to the adoption of digital-based CI that are necessary to build effective digital-based climate service delivery. To bridge this gap, we perform a mini meta-analysis capturing 19 results from nine published studies that specifically focus on the determinants of digital-based CI adoption. The literature search was conducted without any predefined study area, resulting in cases mostly from Africa, including Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Ethiopia, as well as Jamaica. A random effects model was used. Results confirm that five determinants – primarily related to information access (access to extension services and farming experience), socio-demographics (gender), group membership/social capital, and farmer awareness/perceptions of climate change – consistently influence digital-based CI adoption. The results of this mini meta-analysis set the benchmark for understanding digital-based CI adoption by smallholder farmers.Interventions aimed at promoting the uptake of digital-based climate information (CI) into decision-making by smallholder farmers are unlikely to be successful without considering information-related factors such as access to extension services and farming experience, socio-demographic factors (gender), group membership/social capital, and farmer awareness/perceptions of climate change.Contrary to common beliefs in agricultural technology adoption, our research finds that age, education, farm size, distance to markets/roads, use of improved practices, family size, land sources, and farm income do not influence the digital-based adoption of CI.It is essential to consider non-economic factors, such as farmers’ social capital, and awareness, when developing digital-based delivery of CI.Female smallholder farmers are more likely to adopt digital-based CI, which could also help to narrow the gender gap and empower women. It is an important step towards the ubiquitous uptake of CI.Mobile phones are the main communication channel used by smallholder farmers to receive CI via SMS, voice message, internet, or on a platform.