Tropentag 2023, September 20 - 22, Berlin, Germany "Competing pathways for equitable food systems transformation: trade-offs and synergies."

Factors associated with the adoption of diversified farming systems: A global meta-analysis

¹The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Multifunctional landscapes, France
²CIRAD, Martinique
³CIRAD, Australia
⁴CIRAD, UMR Agrosystèmes Biodiversifiés, ABSys, France

Abstract

Diversified farming systems have been recognised as effective strategies for achieving sustainable food production by providing economic, environmental, and social benefits to farmers, while mitigating the negative impacts of climate and market changes. However, despite the growing evidence of the advantages of diversified systems, many farmers worldwide usually tend to adopt simplified farming practices like monocultures. To better understand the drivers and constraints behind the adoption of diversified farming systems (e.g., agroforestry, intercropping, crop rotation) in different sub-regions around the world, we conducted a global meta-analysis of 79 peer-reviewed articles that quantitative compared bio-physical, social, and economic characteristics of adopters and non-adopters of diversified farming practices. Our database included more than 30 factors that may influence the adoption of 8 diversified systems, in 30 countries on five continents. Our overall results showed that, on average, the adoption of diversified farming systems was significantly associated to farmer education, farmer gender, farmer age, farm size, land tenure, access to credit, access to training, access to agricultural extension, labour availability, but the strength and direction of these correlations varied across different farming systems. Additionally, the meta-analysis indicated that the factors driving and constraining the adoption of diversified farming systems vary across different sub-regions, with socio-demographic factors being more important in developing regions. Our results provide quantitative and robust evidence of factors that encourage and limit the adoption of diversified farming systems. These findings can guide researchers and policymakers develop targeted strategies that are better suited to local agricultural and cultural contexts and promote the widespread adoption of diversified farming systems. The insights of this meta-analysis have significant implications for achieving sustainable food production and improving the livelihoods of farmers around the world.

Keywords: Adoption, constraints, diversified farming systems, drivers, meta-analysis

Contact Address: Andrea Cecilia Sanchez Bogado, The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Multifunctional landscapes, 1990 boulevard de la lironde, 34370 Montpellier, France, e-mail: andrea.sanchezcgiar.org