Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi

Land degradation and soil erosion have emerged as serious challenges to smallholder farmers throughout southern Africa. To combat these challenges, conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted as a sustainable package of agricultural practices. Despite the many potential benefits of CA, however,...

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Main Authors: Ward, Patrick S., Bell, Andrew R., Droppelmann, Klaus, Benton, Tim
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148558
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author Ward, Patrick S.
Bell, Andrew R.
Droppelmann, Klaus
Benton, Tim
author_browse Bell, Andrew R.
Benton, Tim
Droppelmann, Klaus
Ward, Patrick S.
author_facet Ward, Patrick S.
Bell, Andrew R.
Droppelmann, Klaus
Benton, Tim
author_sort Ward, Patrick S.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Land degradation and soil erosion have emerged as serious challenges to smallholder farmers throughout southern Africa. To combat these challenges, conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted as a sustainable package of agricultural practices. Despite the many potential benefits of CA, however, adoption remains low. Yet relatively little is known about the decision-making process in choosing to adopt CA. This article attempts to fill this important knowledge gap by studying CA adoption in southern Malawi. Unlike what is implicitly assumed when these packages of practices are introduced, farmers view adoption as a series of independent decisions rather than a single decision. Yet the adoption decisions are not wholly independent. We find strong evidence of interrelated decisions, particularly among mulching crop residues and practicing zero tillage, suggesting that mulching residues and intercropping or rotating with legumes introduces a multiplier effect on the adoption of zero tillage.
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spelling CGSpace1485582025-11-06T06:32:24Z Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi Ward, Patrick S. Bell, Andrew R. Droppelmann, Klaus Benton, Tim land management technology adoption sustainability conservation agriculture smallholders land use land degradation probit analysis soil erosion zero tillage Land degradation and soil erosion have emerged as serious challenges to smallholder farmers throughout southern Africa. To combat these challenges, conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted as a sustainable package of agricultural practices. Despite the many potential benefits of CA, however, adoption remains low. Yet relatively little is known about the decision-making process in choosing to adopt CA. This article attempts to fill this important knowledge gap by studying CA adoption in southern Malawi. Unlike what is implicitly assumed when these packages of practices are introduced, farmers view adoption as a series of independent decisions rather than a single decision. Yet the adoption decisions are not wholly independent. We find strong evidence of interrelated decisions, particularly among mulching crop residues and practicing zero tillage, suggesting that mulching residues and intercropping or rotating with legumes introduces a multiplier effect on the adoption of zero tillage. 2016-05-13 2024-06-21T09:25:02Z 2024-06-21T09:25:02Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148558 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149502 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148443 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146215 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ward, Patrick S.; Bell, Andrew R.; Droppelmann, Klaus; and Benton, Tim. 2016. Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi. IFPRI Discussion Paper 1530. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148558
spellingShingle land management
technology adoption
sustainability
conservation agriculture
smallholders
land use
land degradation
probit analysis
soil erosion
zero tillage
Ward, Patrick S.
Bell, Andrew R.
Droppelmann, Klaus
Benton, Tim
Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi
title Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi
title_full Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi
title_fullStr Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi
title_short Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi
title_sort understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture modeling a case study in malawi
topic land management
technology adoption
sustainability
conservation agriculture
smallholders
land use
land degradation
probit analysis
soil erosion
zero tillage
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148558
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