More than 60% of Zambia's population lives in rural areas and relies on rain-fed agriculture, with smallholder farmers playing a key role in food production. However, their dependence on the climate makes them vulnerable. It is essential to sustainably increase food production to feed a growing population and address climate change. Sustainable Intensification Practices (SIPs) are a solution that increases productivity without harming the environment. Examples of SIPs include Conservation Agriculture (CA), agroforestry, and the use of improved fertilizers. Although SIPs have benefits such as improving soil fertility and increasing productivity, their adoption is low due to obstacles like competition for crop residues, credit and labor constraints, and technical limitations. Additionally, farmers' risk and time preferences influence the adoption of these practices.
To better understand these factors, data were collected from two household surveys conducted in nine districts of Zambia, located in the Eastern (Chipata, Lundazi and Sinda), Northern (Kasama, Mbala and Senga Hill), and Southern provinces (Choma, Mazabuka and Monze), where CIMMYT promotes various SIPs. The surveys were carried out in specific communities using the mother and baby trial approach of the SIFAZ project. Households of farmers hosting mother and baby trials, as well as other farmers in each camp, were randomly sampled. In total, 678 households were surveyed in 2021 and 646 in 2022, achieving a balanced panel of 1292 observations. Adoption refers to the use of CA practices on non-demonstration and non-trial plots that are not supported by external projects. Ethical approval was obtained for both surveys.
This study in Zambia uses this data to analyze how risk and time preferences affect the adoption of CA-based practices, concluding that risk aversion and impatience reduce the likelihood of adoption.
