A meta-analysis of the adoption of agricultural technology in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Both global poverty and hunger have increased in recent years, endangering progress towards accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2. The regression has been most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Meeting the SDG targets requires achieving resilient farm productivity. Although many farm management technologies exist to improve yields, farmers in SSA largely have not adopted these approaches. A long-standing literature about technology adoption identifies multiple hypotheses as to why farmers may or may not adopt new agricultural technologies, culminating in numerous micro-econometric studies. We analyse a metadata set capturing the findings of 164 published studies specifically focusing on SSA and show that 20 out of 38, or 53%, of the determinants commonly believed to influence technology adoption lack empirical support. Eighteen determinants—primarily related to information access, wealth, group membership and social capital, and land tenure—consistently influence adoption across studies. Wealth remains a significant determinant of fertilizer adoption, despite long-running subsidies in most countries, although it is decoupled from the adoption of improved seeds and alternative crop and nutrient management technologies. We highlight the foundational determinants of adoption and offer guidance to design effective interventions that can decrease poverty and hunger towards 2030.

Uptake of agroforestry-based crop management in the semi-arid Sahel – Analysis of joint decisions and adoption determinants

“…The first group of practices include mulching and composting, intercropping, improved rotations and the use of animal manure. These practices are commonly referred to as ecological intensification or climate-smart agricultural strategies in the literature (Arslan et al, 2020;Pannell and Zilberman, 2020;Piñeiro et al, 2020;Ruzzante et al, 2021). The second group is comprised of improved crop varieties, mineral fertilizers and synthetic pesticides.…”

“…A substantial literature exists on the determinants of adoption of agricultural practices, with a focus mostly on agronomic aspects and supporting interventions, such as improved varieties, new crop protection sprays or mineral fertilizer subsidies (Pannell and Zilberman, 2020;Piñeiro et al, 2020; e.g. Arslan et al, 2020;Ruzzante et al, 2021). Less is known about the factors that influence the diffusion and adoption dynamics of agroforestry or similar agroecological approaches (Arslan et al, 2020).…”

“…Arslan et al, 2020;Ruzzante et al, 2021). Less is known about the factors that influence the diffusion and adoption dynamics of agroforestry or similar agroecological approaches (Arslan et al, 2020). Regression models often only capture farmers' binary adoption decision, however, to analyse technological change context-specific processes must also be accounted for (Glover et al, 2019).…”

“…While there are multiple other benefits of agroforestry, for example the provision of nutrient-dense foods and livestock fodder, their exhaustive inclusion is beyond the scope of this study. Based on the relevance of training, extension and knowledge in recent adoption reviews (Arslan et al, 2020;Piñeiro et al, 2020;Ruzzante et al, 2021), we focus in particular on the influence of information access and information flows, alongside aspects of social networks and other characteristics of the farmer and farm. Overall, the study aims (i) to examine which agricultural practices are jointly adopted with agroforestry and, (ii) to assess the determinants of agroforestry awareness, adoption intensity and disadoption decisions.…”

Understanding heterogeneity in technology adoption among Indonesian smallholder dairy farmers

“…Moreover, most adoption studies focus on “green revolution” type technologies (e.g., improved seed varieties and fertilizers) and conservation practices in the context of farming crops (Arslan et al, 2022; Liu et al, 2018; Ruzzante et al, 2021). This attention is reasonable because the cropping sector is the primary source of staple foods globally.…”