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Degraded land is a major danger to agricultural productivity and food security in Ethiopia. Sustainable land management technologies (SLMTs), through targeted interventions, have been applied to address this problem. Notwithstanding some of the known agricultural and environmental benefits connected with the adoption of some SLMTs, the adoption rate remains below expectations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationships and determinants of the adoption of SLMTs in eastern and southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 384 sampled households selected using multi-stage sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics and multivariate probit (MVP) model were used to analyze data. Estimated results of MVP revealed that the adoption of SLMTs is positively and significantly influenced by education level, livestock, membership in a social group, extension contacts, access to SLM information, training, credit, land tenure, and slope, while age, farm distance, and the number of active family members due to youth migration abroad had negative effects. The widely adopted SLMTs on farmlands were inorganic fertilizer (49.5%), soil bunds (48.4%), bench terraces (47.2%), intercropping (46.1%), and manure (38%). This study concluded that farmers invested a blend of SLMTs, some of which complemented and others substituted for one another. Therefore, policy-makers and planners should focus on fortifying human and local institutions' capacity to implement SLM and consider SLM technology interdependencies before communicating with farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degraded land is a major danger to agricultural productivity and food security in Ethiopia. Sustainable land management technologies (SLMTs), through targeted interventions, have been applied to address this problem. Notwithstanding some of the known agricultural and environmental benefits connected with the adoption of some SLMTs, the adoption rate remains below expectations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationships and determinants of the adoption of SLMTs in eastern and southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 384 sampled households selected using multi-stage sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics and multivariate probit (MVP) model were used to analyze data. Estimated results of MVP revealed that the adoption of SLMTs is positively and significantly influenced by education level, livestock, membership in a social group, extension contacts, access to SLM information, training, credit, land tenure, and slope, while age, farm distance, and the number of active family members due to youth migration abroad had negative effects. The widely adopted SLMTs on farmlands were inorganic fertilizer (49.5%), soil bunds (48.4%), bench terraces (47.2%), intercropping (46.1%), and manure (38%). This study concluded that farmers invested a blend of SLMTs, some of which complemented and others substituted for one another. Therefore, policy-makers and planners should focus on fortifying human and local institutions’ capacity to implement SLM and consider SLM technology interdependencies before communicating with farmers.

Abstract The adoption of improved agricultural technology packages is vital in Ethiopia, as the expansion of cultivable land appears nearly exhausted and population size has skyrocketed. However, the country has shown a low adoption rate. Thus, this study aimed to explore the factors that hinder or facilitate the adoption of multiple maize technology packages and intensity of adoption in the northern Sidama zone of Ethiopia. A multistage sampling procedure was applied to gather cross-sectional data from 424 farm households owning 545 maize plots. A multivariate probit and two-limit Tobit models were applied to address the study objectives. The conditional probability results confirmed that maize technology packages are complementary (positive relationship). This infers that agriculture-focused policies that influence the adoption of a single component of technology packages can have a reinforcing advantage over the adoption of other technologies. Furthermore, the results from the models showed that farmers with greater experience, family size, plot size, livestock and oxen ownership, number of maize plots owned, off-farm income, access to credit, extension services and membership in institutions are more likely to adopt at least one of the improved technology packages and achieved a better status of intensity of adoption. Therefore, it is crucial to reinforce and deliver quality extension services, provide credit access, motivate youth to be involved in farming activities, inspire membership and ease the system to access inputs and technologies for broader adoption of technology packages.

Agricultural mechanization is one of the key components that enhance agricultural intensification. Thus, this study investigates determinants of agricultural machine renting of smallholder farmers using cross-sectional data obtained from 192 agricultural machine users and 208 non-users of agricultural machine smallholder farmers from West Gojjam zone, Ethiopia. Three districts were selected because of the presence of agricultural mechanization intervention The data were collected from 400 households selected randomly and proportionally from Wonberma, Burie Zuria, and Dembecha districts from January to April 2021 year. To describe and analyze the data descriptive statistics and econometric model were used. The descriptive statistics show among agricultural machine renting households about 25.3% households were rented tractor, 22.3% combine harvester 28.54% maize Sheller and other farmers use two or all three types of machines simultaneously. The result of multivariate probit model showed that correlation coefficient between tractor and combine harvester, tractor, and maize Sheller, and combine harvester and maize Sheller were 63.1, 48.2, and 68.6%, respectively. The positive sign indicates the adoption of one type of machine enhancing the marginal productivity of other types of machines. Adoption of agricultural machine renting were influenced by age of households, level of education, ownership of oxen, total cultivated land, extension visit, and information access from extension agent positively and significantly. On the other hand, family size, distance to development agent and distance to the nearest market were negatively and significantly affect agricultural machine renting. Based on the finding, this paper recommends that the governmental and non-governmental organization should focus on the strengthening of formal and informal education, development of infrastructures, and extension visit which promote agricultural machine renting services.

AbstractProduct upgrading is the most viable solution for small holder farmers to increase their income and capture more of the value of their product in the value chain. This paper was aimed at assessing factors affecting smallholder tomato producers’ participation decisions in product upgrading (adopting improved variety, pesticide application, and staking). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from primary and secondary sources of data. Semi-structured interview, focus group discussion, key informant interview, and personal observation were used to collect data. To analyse data obtained from sample respondents, descriptive and econometric models (multivariate probit model) were used. The result of the study implied that family size, farming experience, year of school, access to market information, training, seed, and pesticide significantly and positively influenced one or more product upgrading techniques while age and market distance had negative and significant association with product upgrading. Therefore, policy and development interventions should give emphasis towards the improvement of such institutional support system so as to foster household participation in product upgrading.

Frequent climate variability and change had the strongest direct influences on the availability and accessibility of food through reducing agricultural productivity and cropping patterns. Despite the Ethiopian government having made substantial efforts to boost production and productivity through the introduction of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices (CSAPs), the implementation of these practices by smallholder wheat farmers has remained low. This study, therefore, tried to investigate the determinants of the adoption of CSAPs in Northwestern Ethiopia. The primary data were gathered from 385 randomly selected wheat producers (including 702 plot-level observations). The CSAPs considered in this investigation were wheat row planting, crop rotation, and improved wheat varieties. The factors that influence the adoption of CSAPs were determined using a multivariate probit (MVP) model. The results revealed that the age of the sampled wheat producer farmers, education level of sampled wheat farmers, livestock holding, contact with development agents, credit access, off-farm activities participation, distance to input supply institution, slope of the plot, and soil fertility status of the plot were the major determinants of the adoption of CSAPs. The study suggested that policy-makers and stakeholders should strengthen farmers’ skills by providing sufficient and effective short-term training. Moreover, encouraging mixed crop-livestock production systems, strengthening credit access, development agents, and access to near-input supply institutions are required to scale-up the adoption of CSAPs.

As in most developing countries, farm households in Ethiopia are often engaged in several income diversification activities to mitigate several risks and uncertainties faced by agriculture and address poverty and food insecurity. The benefits of income diversification have been widely documented in the literature. However, little econometric evidence exists on the drivers of income diversification among farm households in Ethiopia. The paper addresses this information gap by investigating the drivers of choice decisions and intensity of income diversification among farm households using data collected from a sample of 385 randomly selected households from the Ethiopian central highlands. Unlike previous studies, our multivariate probit model results show that the choice decision of farm households is significantly interrelated and drivers had heterogeneous effects on the choice decision of households. The findings revealed that age, education, livestock, land, food shortage, agricultural commercialization cluster (ACC), investment in sustainable farming practices, rainfall, and maximum temperature significantly impacted the choice of income diversification. The fractional response logit model results revealed that age, livestock, food shortage, joint household decision‐making, ACC, income, rainfall, and study site significantly impacted the intensity of income diversification. The descriptive results revealed that most farmers (67%) tend to have a more diversified portfolio of income including off‐farm, forest, non‐farm, livestock, crop, and other sources, and the intensity of diversification ranges between 0 and 0.76. The study also finds the presence of both synergies and trade‐offs in different types of diversification. We suggest that there is an urgent need to improve the ways of income diversification among farm households to both the sustainability of small farms and ensure food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores to identify various climate change adaptation strategies adopted by farm households in the Gedeo zone, Ethiopia. It is based on cross-sectional data from 400 randomly selected sample farm households. By using cross-sectional data from a primary survey of 400 randomly selected sample farm households and applying a multivariate probit regression model, it identifies the factors determining farm households' adoption of climate change adaptation options. The study finds five major climate change adaptation options adopted by farm households, viz. agro-forestry, soil and water conservation, small-scale irrigation, crop diversification, and adjusting planting dates. Findings indicate that various demographics, socio-economic, institutional, biophysical and climate change risk factors determine adoption of climate change adaptation strategies. The study suggests the significance of formulating different information opportunities such as local climate forums, access to media centers, and training centers for farmers, which can help to increase adaptation of farm households to climate change. Therefore, policies and development plans that persuade the adoption of adaptation strategies to climate change must consider these factors to reduce the climate repercussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide uses of energy-efficient technologies have the potential to save a significant amount of electricity, which may allow deferral of construction of new power plants. However, in low-income countries, there is low use of energy-efficient technologies. This paper studies the behavioral and socio-economic determinants of urban households’ investment in energy efficiency improvements in Ethiopia. It considers multiple technologies and uses a multivariate probit model to take into account the sequential or simultaneous adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Using a random sample of 1,400 urban households from nine regions in Ethiopia, the study finds that most households (86%) adopt energy-efficient technologies and other energy conservation activities mainly to reduce energy expenditure. Interestingly, at least 12% of the respondents adopt these activities out of concern for the environment and future generations, which is encouraging. The multivariate probit regression result shows that households’ educational status, income or occupational status, access to credit, and age are significant determinants of households’ investment in energy-efficient technologies. The results illustrate there is a need for policies that incentivize or promote firms to sell energy-efficient products, for example, using installment (credit) and also a policy on the language of product specifications–using local language.

Nowadays, a combination of natural and man-made factors has led to a decline in the physical and chemical quality of the soil. In Ethiopia, declining soil fertility and quality that lead to low agricultural production are made worse by soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Adoption and implementation of integrated soil fertility management strategies have emerged as inevitabilities in terms of development in Ethiopia generally and in the Tana sub-basin of northwest Ethiopia specifically. This study was created to evaluate the Megech watershed's integrated smallholder soil fertility management methods' adoption factors, status, and scope. A total of 380 individual farmers were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire to gather primary data. Descriptive statistics and econometric estimating methods were combined in the study. The findings supported the use of inorganic fertilizer, tree planting, organic fertilizer, stone bunds, and soil bunds by households as the primary methods for managing soil fertility. The outcomes of the econometric model also show that households' adoption decisions for integrated soil fertility management practices are highly interdependent. Additionally, there were similar underlying factors that affected the status and intensity of implementing integrated soil fertility management practices. The research concluded that effective soil management policies and programs should be designed, and implemented by smallholder farmers, agricultural experts, research centers, and governmental and non-governmental organizations to improve the quality of soil for sustainable food production. Moreover, raising the affordability of financial services and strengthening smallholder farmers' access to education help to increase their income, which in turn encourages the use of integrated soil fertility management practices.

In Ethiopia, many initiatives have been implemented to empower smallholder dairy farmers to develop viable livelihoods from the sector. The problem with these policies is the inability to reach farmers at large, and dairy farmers in rural areas are always challenged to deliver milk and milk products faster to the final market. The study was aimed at investigating factors that influence market channel choices among dairy producers in Ada'a Berga district Ethiopia. This paper uses data from a survey of 123 dairy producer households in four rural kebeles to analyse the factors that influence the choice of a milk marketing channel. Multivariate probit econometric model results show that income from dairy source, market information and educational level of household affected wholesaler outlet. The choice of consumer outlet is influenced by family size, membership in a dairy cooperative, market information, non-dairy income and income from dairy source. Number of milking cows, membership in a dairy cooperative and non-dairy income determined the choice of dairy cooperative outlet. The choice of district retailer's market outlet was affected by sex of households, membership in a dairy cooperative and income from dairy sources. Choice of rural collector outlet is negatively influenced by non-dairy income and access to an extension contact. Therefore, policies should be designed that encourage farmers' cooperatives, contract farming and collective action in order to lower transaction costs, expand market information for dairy producers, expand extension services and expand infrastructures such as road and transportation facilities, which are needed to promote the effective marketing of milk through all outlets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock, particularly cattle, are an integral part of livelihoods in rural sub-Saharan Africa. However, diseases such as African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) have limited the potential of this important sector in the rural household economy. Using a representative sample of small-scale cattle farmers, this study investigates the adoption of modern AAT-management technologies in rural Ethiopia. Specifically, this study investigates the adoption of so-called 'best-bet technologies' (BBTs), recommended by veterinary experts as complementary measures to manage AAT. The results show that the multiple adoption of BBTs was low. In addition, BBTs were adopted as substitutes, and not as complements as suggested by veterinary experts. The results suggest budgetary constraints are proxied by wealth, and information asymmetry explains the substitution effects. The training and reeducation of veterinary personnel, as well as programmes and interventions that would improve access to livestock-management inputs, should be pursued vigorously by policy makers to increase the adoption of modern AAT-management technologies to improve cattle productiviy.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Enterprise innovation has gained the interest of development policymakers and scholars as the bases for the industrial development. This study comprehensively analyzes the drivers of enterprise innovation in developing countries. The study uses survey data to analyze the determinants of enterprise innovation in Ethiopia using a multivariate probit (MVP) model. For this study, enterprises were grouped into four categories: all-sized, large-sized, medium-sized, and micro- and small-sized enterprises. It appears that engagement in R & D, on-the-job training, and website ownership significantly determine enterprise innovation. This study, unlike previous studies, comprehensively analyzes drivers of innovation by considering enterprises in different sizes and all at the same time. This helps identify factors most relevant for enterprise innovation at all stage which help policymakers get focused on strategy development. Based on the findings, further emphasis on engagement in R & D would help enterprises to become innovative for all categories of enterprises. Furthermore, strengthening the available formal training and diversifying type of the training that is related to skills, knowledge, and techniques that help achieve the long-term objective of the enterprises are worth considering. Enterprises also need to subscribe to different sites that help learn more and access information.

Theoretically, the relationship between shocks and agricultural innovation adoption could be ambiguous. While shocks could lower the competence and capacity of households to adopt new agricultural innovations, households can also take-up agricultural innovations as a coping mechanism against the different shocks they face. Using a nationally representative household data from Ethiopia of the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) of the World Bank, this paper analyzes the effect of idiosyncratic and covariate shocks on adoption of different agricultural innovations, assuming interdependence among the innovations. We find shocks to have heterogeneous effects on the adoption of agricultural innovations. Specifically, production and health shocks have negative effects on the adoption of high-cost innovations such as improved seeds, chemical fertilizer, and irrigation. However, production shocks are positively associated with low-cost innovations such as organic fertilizer. To enhance farmers’ adoption of agricultural innovations, especially high-cost innovations, there is a greater need towards the design of policies and interventions that would reduce household’s exposure to production and health shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation is a serious global problem because it leads to losses in food production and thus jeopardizes food security worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Despite numerous efforts to introduce sustainable land management (SLM) strategies and practices, their adoption by the primary target group, small-scale farmers in developing countries, has been [s]low. This study assesses the problem for the case of Ethiopia. The aim was to analyze the underlying factors that affect the adoption of SLM technologies in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. A detailed survey of 300 households and 1010 farm plots was conducted. Data were analyzed by using both descriptive and econometric analyses. Results show that farmers’ adoption of interrelated SLM measures depended on a number of socio-economic and farm-related factors in combination with the characteristics of the technologies themselves. For example, plot size and the availability of labor, as well as the gender of the household head, affected which SLM technologies were adopted by certain types of households. The adoption of SLM measures depended on the adaptive economic capacity of the farmers, which can be quite diverse even within a small region and can differ from the adoption potential in other regions. Our results suggest that SLM policies and programs have to be individually designed for specific target groups within specific regions, which in turn means that “one size fits all” and “across the board” strategies – which are quite common in the field of SLM – should be abandoned by development agencies and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its adverse effects, identify major adaptation strategies used by farmers and analyze the factors that influence the choice of adaptation strategy by smallholder farmers in eastern Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of 296 sample households selected from three districts in east Ethiopia. Data were collected with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire and review of literature, documents and databases. Findings – The study provides empirical evidence that majority of farmers in the study area are aware of climate change patterns and their adverse effect on income, food security, diversity, forest resources, food prices and crop and livestock diseases. In response to these adverse effects, major adaptation strategies used by farmers include cultivating different crops, planting different crop varieties, changing planting dates, use of soil and water conservation techniques, conservation agriculture practices and engaging in non-farm income activities. Choice of adaptation strategies are influenced by gender of household head, household size, farm size, distance from market and number of farm plots. Practical implications – The study suggests that developing more effective climate change adaptation strategies need support from the government. Such an effort needs provision of the necessary resources such as credit, information and extension services on climate change adaptation strategies and technologies, and investing in climate smart and resilient projects. Originality/value – The study adopts multivariate probit model that models farmers’ simultaneous adaptation choice behavior which has been rarely addressed by previous researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption and diffusion of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) has become an important issue in the development-policy agenda for sub-Saharan Africa, especially as a way to tackle land degradation, low agricultural productivity and poverty. However, the adoption rates of SAPs remain below expected levels. This study analyses the factors that facilitate or impede the probability and level of adoption of interrelated SAPs, using recent data from multiple plot-level observations in rural Ethiopia. Multivariate and ordered probit models are applied to the modelling of adoption decisions by farm households facing multiple SAPs, which can be adopted in various combinations. The results show that there is a significant correlation between SAPs, suggesting that adoptions of SAPs are interrelated. The analysis further shows that both the probability and the extent of adoption of SAPs are influenced by many factors: a household's trust in government support, credit constraints, spouse education, rainfall and plot-level disturbances, household wealth, social capital and networks, labour availability, plot and market access. These results imply that policy-makers and development practitioners should seek to strengthen local institutions and service providers, maintain or increase household asset bases and establish and strengthen social protection schemes in order to improve the adoption of SAPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]