Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi?
Addressing persistent food insecurity requires increased and sustained agricultural productivity in spite of compounding challenges of worsening climate shocks and soil degradation. However, despite numerous initiatives by stakeholders like the Malawian government, along with strong scientific evide...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173812 |
| _version_ | 1855526552249303040 |
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| author | Mathanda, H. Pangapanga-Phiri, I. Hirpa Tufa, A. Mangisoni, J. Alene, A. Ngoma, H. Phiri, H.H. Chikoye, D. |
| author_browse | Alene, A. Chikoye, D. Hirpa Tufa, A. Mangisoni, J. Mathanda, H. Ngoma, H. Pangapanga-Phiri, I. Phiri, H.H. |
| author_facet | Mathanda, H. Pangapanga-Phiri, I. Hirpa Tufa, A. Mangisoni, J. Alene, A. Ngoma, H. Phiri, H.H. Chikoye, D. |
| author_sort | Mathanda, H. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Addressing persistent food insecurity requires increased and sustained agricultural productivity in spite of compounding challenges of worsening climate shocks and soil degradation. However, despite numerous initiatives by stakeholders like the Malawian government, along with strong scientific evidence supporting Conservation Agriculture (CA), adoption rates in Malawi remain lower than expected. This study examined social capital as a catalyst for the adoption of CA. It used data from 1512 randomly selected smallholder farmers to investigate how different elements of social capital influenced farmers’ decisions to adopt CA practices. The study findings revealed that social capital elements, namely, group membership and relationships with leadership positively influenced CA adoption. Additionally, factors such as cultivated land size, access to extension services, livestock ownership, and credit availability contributed to the number of CA practices adopted. While the transition to full CA adoption remained limited compared to partial adoption, the study revealed promising trends toward greater uptake. Consequently, these findings highlight the need for agricultural policies that promote farmer organizations, community engagement, and training programs to strengthen social networks and enhance the adoption of CA practices in Malawi. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace173812 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1738122025-11-11T10:18:55Z Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? Mathanda, H. Pangapanga-Phiri, I. Hirpa Tufa, A. Mangisoni, J. Alene, A. Ngoma, H. Phiri, H.H. Chikoye, D. conservation agriculture smallholders farmers social capital agricultural policies malawi Addressing persistent food insecurity requires increased and sustained agricultural productivity in spite of compounding challenges of worsening climate shocks and soil degradation. However, despite numerous initiatives by stakeholders like the Malawian government, along with strong scientific evidence supporting Conservation Agriculture (CA), adoption rates in Malawi remain lower than expected. This study examined social capital as a catalyst for the adoption of CA. It used data from 1512 randomly selected smallholder farmers to investigate how different elements of social capital influenced farmers’ decisions to adopt CA practices. The study findings revealed that social capital elements, namely, group membership and relationships with leadership positively influenced CA adoption. Additionally, factors such as cultivated land size, access to extension services, livestock ownership, and credit availability contributed to the number of CA practices adopted. While the transition to full CA adoption remained limited compared to partial adoption, the study revealed promising trends toward greater uptake. Consequently, these findings highlight the need for agricultural policies that promote farmer organizations, community engagement, and training programs to strengthen social networks and enhance the adoption of CA practices in Malawi. 2025-06 2025-03-24T08:43:09Z 2025-03-24T08:43:09Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173812 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier Mathanda, H., Pangapanga-Phiri, I., Hirpa Tufa, A., Mangisoni, J., Alene, A., Ngoma, H., ... & Chikoye, D. (2025). Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 26, 100630, 1-13. |
| spellingShingle | conservation agriculture smallholders farmers social capital agricultural policies malawi Mathanda, H. Pangapanga-Phiri, I. Hirpa Tufa, A. Mangisoni, J. Alene, A. Ngoma, H. Phiri, H.H. Chikoye, D. Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? |
| title | Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? |
| title_full | Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? |
| title_fullStr | Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? |
| title_short | Does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi? |
| title_sort | does social capital influence the intensity of conservation agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in malawi |
| topic | conservation agriculture smallholders farmers social capital agricultural policies malawi |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173812 |
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