Determinants of the Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices by Small-Scale Farming Households in King Cetshwayo District Municipality, South Africa

Abstract

Agriculture, particularly small-scale farming, is both a contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and a victim of the effects of climate change. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) offers a unique opportunity to adapt to the effects of climate change while at the same time mitigating GHG emissions. The low response to the adoption of CSA among small-scale farmers raises questions as to the factors influencing its adoption in the small-scale farming system. With the aid of a close-ended questionnaire, structured interviews were conducted and formed the basis on which data were generated from 327 small-scale farmers selected through random sampling. Descriptive statistics, Composite Score Index and a Generalized Ordered Logit Regression (gologit) model were employed for the analysis. The majority (56.6%) of the sampled farmers fell in the medium category of users of CSA practices, while the lowest proportion (17.7%) of the sampled farmers fell in the high category. The use of organic manure, crop rotation and crop diversification were the most popular CSA practices among the sampled farmers. Educational status, farm income, farming experience, size of farmland, contact with agricultural extension, exposure to media, agricultural production activity, membership of an agricultural association or group and the perception of the impact of climate change were found to be statistically significant and positively correlated with the level of CSA adoption. Furthermore, off-farm income and distance of farm to homestead were statistically significant but negatively correlated with the CSA level of adoption. This paper argues that climate change-related education through improved extension contact and exposure to mass media can strengthen integrated farm activities that bolster farm income. Additionally, farmer associations or groups should be given adequate attention to facilitate CSA adoption as a means to climate change mitigation and resilience.