IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/rza/ersawp/44.html

Does the uptake of multiple climate smart agriculture practices enhance household savings, food security and household vulnerability to climate change? Insights from Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • Boscow Okumu

    (African Population and Health Research Centre)

  • Herbert Ntuli

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Edwin Muchapondwa

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Gibson Mudiriza

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Alfred Mukong

    (University of Cape Town)

Abstract

Climate change and variability poses a significant hindrance on agricultural productivity. The adverse effects are particularly concerning in many African countries that rely more on rainfed subsistence agriculture for livelihood. The promotion of climate smart agriculture technologies as a pathway to enhancing food security, farmer’s welfare, and providing climate adaptation and mitigation benefits is one of the several interventions aimed at improving agricultural productivity. However, there has been a dearth of evidence on the determinants of adoption of climate smart agriculture practices as well as the impact of climate smart agriculture practices on food security and household welfare. This paper contributes to this knowledge gap by using the probit model to explore the drivers of uptake of climate smart agriculture practices and the inverse probability weighting regression model and the instrumental variable approach to assess the impact on food security and household savings and household vulnerability. We find that the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices among smallholder farmers is influenced by land ownership, climatic variables, land terrain, and household sociodemographic characteristics. The study further revealed that adoption of climate smart agriculture practices leads to reduction in household savings and household vulnerability but leads to improved food security. The findings suggest the need to promote climate smart agriculture practices aimed at livestock management, enhanced agricultural extension work and reduced resource constraints that inhibit farmer’s capacity to adopt complementary practices among others.

Suggested Citation

  • Boscow Okumu & Herbert Ntuli & Edwin Muchapondwa & Gibson Mudiriza & Alfred Mukong, 2024. "Does the uptake of multiple climate smart agriculture practices enhance household savings, food security and household vulnerability to climate change? Insights from Zimbabwe," ERSA Working Paper Series 44, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    • Handle: RePEc:rza:ersawp:44
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ersawps.org/index.php/working-paper-series/article/view/44/30
    File Function: First version, 2024
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julius Manda & Arega D. Alene & Cornelis Gardebroek & Menale Kassie & Gelson Tembo, 2016. "Adoption and Impacts of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Maize Yields and Incomes: Evidence from Rural Zambia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(1), pages 130-153, February.
    2. Tambo, Justice A. & Mockshell, Jonathan, 2018. "Differential Impacts of Conservation Agriculture Technology Options on Household Income in Sub-Saharan Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 95-105.
    3. Erwin Wauters & Erik Mathijs, 2014. "The adoption of farm level soil conservation practices in developed countries: a meta-analytic review," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(1), pages 78-102.
    4. James J. Heckman & Edward Vytlacil, 2005. "Structural Equations, Treatment Effects, and Econometric Policy Evaluation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 73(3), pages 669-738, May.
    5. Fentie, Amare & Beyene, Abebe D., 2019. "Climate-smart agricultural practices and welfare of rural smallholders in Ethiopia: Does planting method matter?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 387-396.
    6. Tingting Liu & Randall J. F. Bruins & Matthew T. Heberling, 2018. "Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Best Management Practices: A Review and Synthesis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-26, February.
    7. Collins Asante-Addo & Jonathan Mockshell & Manfred Zeller & Khalid Siddig & Irene S. Egyir, 2017. "Agricultural credit provision: what really determines farmers’ participation and credit rationing?," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 77(2), pages 239-256, July.
    8. Lawrence W.C. Lai & Stephen N.G. Davies & Frank T. Lorne, 2019. "Trialogue on Built Heritage and Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-10, July.
    9. Solomon Asfaw & Federica Di Battista & Leslie Lipper, 2016. "Agricultural Technology Adoption under Climate Change in the Sahel: Micro-evidence from Niger," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 25(5), pages 637-669.
    10. Sam Moyo, 2011. "Land concentration and accumulation after redistributive reform in post-settler Zimbabwe," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(128), pages 257-276, June.
    11. repec:ags:agsaem:158319 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Salvatore Di Falco & Charles Perrings, 2003. "Crop Genetic Diversity, Productivity and Stability of Agroecosystems. A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 50(2), pages 207-216, May.
    13. Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2003. "Cluster-Sample Methods in Applied Econometrics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(2), pages 133-138, May.
    14. Asfaw, Solomon & Shiferaw, Bekele & Simtowe, Franklin & Lipper, Leslie, 2012. "Impact of modern agricultural technologies on smallholder welfare: Evidence from Tanzania and Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 283-295.
    15. Mendola, Mariapia, 2007. "Agricultural technology adoption and poverty reduction: A propensity-score matching analysis for rural Bangladesh," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 372-393, June.
    16. James Heckman & Salvador Navarro-Lozano, 2004. "Using Matching, Instrumental Variables, and Control Functions to Estimate Economic Choice Models," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(1), pages 30-57, February.
    17. Rajeev H. Dehejia & Sadek Wahba, 2002. "Propensity Score-Matching Methods For Nonexperimental Causal Studies," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(1), pages 151-161, February.
    18. Debertin, David L., 2012. "Agricultural Production Economics, Second Edition," Monographs: Applied Economics, AgEcon Search, number 158319.
    19. Amadu, Festus O. & McNamara, Paul E. & Miller, Daniel C., 2020. "Yield effects of climate-smart agriculture aid investment in southern Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    20. Bezu, Sosina & Kassie, Girma T. & Shiferaw, Bekele & Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob, 2014. "Impact of Improved Maize Adoption on Welfare of Farm Households in Malawi: A Panel Data Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 120-131.
    21. A. D. Roy, 1951. "Some Thoughts On The Distribution Of Earnings," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 135-146.
    22. Ogada, Maurice Juma & Rao, Elizaphan J.O. & Radeny, Maren & Recha, John W. & Solomon, Dawit, 2020. "Climate-smart agriculture, household income and asset accumulation among smallholder farmers in the Nyando basin of Kenya," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    23. Teklewold, Hailemariam & Gebrehiwot, Tagel & Bezabih, Mintewab, 2019. "Climate smart agricultural practices and gender differentiated nutrition outcome: An empirical evidence from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 38-53.
    24. Tambo, J. & Mockshell, J., 2018. "Differential impacts of conservation agriculture technology options on household welfare in sub-Saharan Africa," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277035, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    25. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince M. & Mockshell, Jonathan, 2021. "Climate-smart cowpea adoption and welfare effects of comprehensive agricultural training programs," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    26. Horrace, William C. & Oaxaca, Ronald L., 2006. "Results on the bias and inconsistency of ordinary least squares for the linear probability model," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 90(3), pages 321-327, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maren Radeny & Elizaphan J. O. Rao & Maurice Juma Ogada & John W. Recha & Dawit Solomon, 2022. "Impacts of climate-smart crop varieties and livestock breeds on the food security of smallholder farmers in Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(6), pages 1511-1535, December.
    2. Mkupete Jaah Mkupete & Jorge Davalos, 2025. "Implications of climate‐smart agriculture technology adoption on women's productivity and food security in Tanzania," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 56(2), pages 247-267, March.
    3. Kapoor, Shreya & Pal, Barun Deb, 2024. "Impact of adoption of climate smart agriculture practices on farmer's income in semi-arid regions of Karnataka," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    4. Marenya, Paswel P. & Gebremariam, Gebrelibanos & Jaleta, Moti & Rahut, Dil B., 2020. "Sustainable intensification among smallholder maize farmers in Ethiopia: Adoption and impacts under rainfall and unobserved heterogeneity," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    5. Aslihan Arslan & Kristin Floress & Christine Lamanna & Leslie Lipper & Solomon Asfaw & Todd Rosenstock, "undated". "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 63 - The adoption of improved agricultural technologies - A meta-analysis for Africa," IFAD Research Series 304758, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    6. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince Maxwell & Abdoulaye, Tahirou, 2020. "Welfare impacts of climate-smart agriculture in Ghana: Does row planting and drought-tolerant maize varieties matter?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. Yang, Qi & Zhu, Yueji & Liu, Ling & Wang, Fang, 2021. "Land tenure stability and adoption intensity of sustainable agricultural practices: Evidence from banana farmers in China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315254, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Ogada, Maurice Juma & Rao, Elizaphan J.O. & Radeny, Maren & Recha, John W. & Solomon, Dawit, 2020. "Climate-smart agriculture, household income and asset accumulation among smallholder farmers in the Nyando basin of Kenya," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    9. Bola Awotide & Arega Alene & Tahirou Abdoulaye & Victor Manyong, 2015. "Impact of agricultural technology adoption on asset ownership: the case of improved cassava varieties in Nigeria," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 7(6), pages 1239-1258, December.
    10. Eleni Yitbarek & Wondimagegn Tesfaye, 2022. "Climate-Smart Agriculture, Non-Farm Employment and Welfare: Exploring Impacts and Options for Scaling Up," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-22, November.
    11. Baum-Snow, Nathaniel & Ferreira, Fernando, 2015. "Causal Inference in Urban and Regional Economics," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 3-68, Elsevier.
    12. Aseres Mamo Eshetie & Eunice Matafwali & Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Jie Li & Aijun Liu, 2022. "Nexus of Cash Crop Production Using Improved Varieties and Household Food Security," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1803-1830, August.
    13. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    14. Wanglin Ma & Xiaobing Wang, 2020. "Internet Use, Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Rural Incomes: Evidence from China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(4), pages 1087-1112, October.
    15. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince M. & Mockshell, Jonathan, 2021. "Climate-smart cowpea adoption and welfare effects of comprehensive agricultural training programs," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    16. Mwalupaso, Gershom Endelani & Eshetie, Aseres Mamo & Matafwali, Eunice & Akter, Asma & Lu, Hua & Geng, Xianhui, 2025. "Rethinking household food security under a changing climate in drought prone areas of Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    17. Maseko, Sulinkhundla, 2021. "The impact of climate-smart technology adoption on farmers’ welfare in Northern Zambia," Research Theses 334765, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    18. Abrham Belay & Alisher Mirzabaev & John W. Recha & Christopher Oludhe & Philip M. Osano & Zerihun Berhane & Lydia A. Olaka & Yitagesu T. Tegegne & Teferi Demissie & Chrispinus Mutsami & Dawit Solomon, 2024. "Does climate-smart agriculture improve household income and food security? Evidence from Southern Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 16711-16738, July.
    19. Verena Preusse & Nils Nölke & Meike Wollni, 2024. "Urbanization and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in the rural‐urban interface of Bangalore, India," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 72(2), pages 167-198, June.
    20. Abdallah, Abdul-Hanan & Abdul-Rahaman, Awal & Issahaku, Gazali, 2021. "Production and hidden hunger impacts of sustainable agricultural practices: evidence from rural households in Africa," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 59(4), January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rza:ersawp:44. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Maggi Sigg (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://ersawps.org/index.php/working-paper-series/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.