Risk aversion, impatience, and adoption of conservation agriculture practices among smallholders in Zambia.

ABSTRACT: Sustainable agricultural practices such as conservation agriculture have been promoted in southern Africa for nearly three decades, but their adoption remains low. It is of policy interest to unpack behavioural drivers of adoption to understand why adoption remains lower than anticipated. This paper assesses the effects of risk aversion and impatience on the extent and intensity of the adoption of conservation agriculture using panel data collected from 646 households in 2021 and 2022 in Zambia. We find that 12% and 18% of the smallholders were impatient and risk averse, respectively. There are two main empirical findings based on panel data Probit and Tobit models. First, on the extensive margin, being impatient is correlated with a decreased likelihood of adopting combined minimum-tillag

SUBMITTER: Simutowe E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10901030 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature