Understanding factors affecting farmers' adoption of improved
technologies is critical to success of conservation agriculture
(CA). This study
explored why farmers adopted
the three principles of CA (minimum soil
disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop
rotations), in 10 communities in Malawi. From a total of 15,854 households in
the study areas, 18% of smallholders had
adopted CA, on 2.1% of all cultivated land. The first stage of the research showed that hired labor, area of land cultivated, membership to
farmer
group, and district influenced farmers' decisions
to adopt CA. The second stage suggested that
total
cultivated land, duration of practicing CA, and
district influenced farmers' decisions. Agency and social
structures influenced adoption and extent of CA.
Future policy
should address ways to provide access to
information and long-term support to farmers to enable them to embrace
the technology
fully.
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