Abstract:
Climate change continues to pose serious threats to agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, particularly in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as a sustainable approach to enhance resilience, productivity, and food security. This study examined the socio-economic, institutional, environmental, demographic, and psychological factors influencing the adoption of CSA practices in Yaya Gulale District, Oromia Region. A total of 180 smallholder farmers were randomly selected, and both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Quantitative data were obtained through household surveys, while qualitative data were gathered via focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multivariate probit model, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed and presented narratively. The findings revealed that farmers had strong awareness of climate change and its impacts. Adoption rates of CSA practices were 62.8% for improved crop varieties, 58.3% for mixed cropping, 32.8% for small-scale irrigation, 67.8% for soil and water conservation, 61.1% for crop diversification, and 31.7% for agroforestry. Results from the multivariate probit model showed that age, sex, access to irrigated land, annual income, landholding size, livestock ownership, and farmers’ perception of climate change significantly influenced CSA adoption. In contrast, education level, family size, agro-ecological zone, distance to market, access to extension and credit services, access to weather information, and household perception of CSA showed no significant effect. The study concludes that improving farmers’ access to irrigated land, financial services, livestock resources, and institutional support is essential to accelerate CSA adoption. Accordingly, policymakers and development partners are urged to strengthen agricultural extension systems, expand rural credit facilities, and promote farmer training programs to enhance climate resilience and improve rural livelihoods in the district.
