Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Factors influencing adoption of climate-smart livestock practices in Eastern Africa: Insights from Uganda

¹University of Kassel, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany
²International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), People, Policies and Institutions, Kenya
³KU Leuven, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Uganda
⁴Wageningen University & Research, Animal Science Group, The Netherlands
⁵Heifer International, Program management, Uganda
⁶University of Kassel / University of Goettingen, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany

Abstract

Climate-smart livestock (CSL) practices have the potential to boost food production while improving the resilience and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa. However, their adoption rates in the region remain low. Focusing on Uganda as a case study, we applied a multivariate probit and tobit regression model to determine the factors influencing the adoption of CSL practices. Data was collected from 626 cattle keeping households located in south-western, central and eastern Uganda. The Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT) was used to predict the peak adoption levels and the number of years to attain the peak adoption levels for CSL practices. The CSL practices identified and considered were growing forage, artificial insemination, routine vaccination, and planting trees. The results showed that 37%, 14%, 45% and 19% of cattle keeping households grew forage, used artificial insemination, carried out routine vaccination and planted trees respectively. Growing forage, using artificial insemination and planting trees were positively influenced by access to credit and keeping farm records. Higher milk revenues were associated with use of artificial insemination. The education level of the household head positively influenced the area under forage production and the number of trees planted. Households that allocated a large portion of their land to grazing cattle were less likely to grow forage and use artificial insemination. The number of trees planted were positively influenced by the age of the household head, household size, total adult equivalent (total number of working hours among adults per household), keeping farm records and access to credit. Growing forage and using artificial insemination were practised interdependently, pointing to the existence of complementarities and synergies between these two CSL practices. The predicted peak adoption levels for growing forage, using artificial insemination, and planting trees were 42%, 25%, and 31%, respectively, after 11 years for growing forage and planting trees, and after 15 years for using artificial insemination. Our results suggest that development programmes and policies should focus on improving access to credits and investing in capacity building for record keeping to increase the adoption of CSL practices.

Keywords: Adoption, climate-smart agriculture, multivariate probit and tobit regression modelling, resilient dairy systems

Contact Address: Christian Bateki Adjogo, University of Kassel / University of Goettingen, Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, Steinstr. 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany, e-mail: christian.batekiuni-kassel.de