Adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices among Smallholder Farmers in Chikuni, Monze District

Climate change poses a significant threat to smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Zambia where agriculture supports nearly 70% of the population. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as a critical strategy for building resilience, yet adoption rates remain persistently low. This mixed-methods study investigated CSA adoption among 330 smallholder farmers in Chikuni, Monze District, using surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews. The findings revealed that 62% of farmers had adopted at least one CSA practice, with conservation agriculture (48%) and crop rotation (45%) being most common, while water harvesting (18%) and agroforestry (15%) remained limited. However, 65% of farmers implemented no more than two practices. Financial constraints (78%), limited input access (62%), inadequate extension services (48%), and knowledge gaps (55%) emerged as primary barriers, compounded by a severe extension officer-to-farmer ratio of 1:1,200. Despite these challenges, 72% of farmers expressed willingness to adopt more practices, conditional on credit access, inputs, and practical training. Farmer-to-farmer learning (85%) and demonstration plots (78%) were the most preferred dissemination approaches. Statistical analysis confirmed that financial access (p<0.001, d=0.795) and extension visit frequency (p=0.001, OR=5.69) significantly influence adoption intensity, while education level explains 17% of variance in adoption. The study concludes that enhancing CSA adoption requires a bundled approach addressing financial, informational, and institutional barriers simultaneously through community-based mechanisms like Village Savings and Loan Associations and peer learning networks.