Abstract:
The negative impact of climate change has been striking the agricultural sector in Africa. For
countries like Ethiopia, whose livelihood occupation of the nation is mainly based on subsistence
agriculture that highly rely on rainfall, making an adjustment to adapt to the changing situation
is very crucial. Therefore, designing contextual specific adaptation strategies are essential to
moderate the negative effect of climate change. This study was intended to answer identify the
agricultural practices that maximize output and conserve the natural resources and the strength,
weakness, opportunities and threats in implementing the organic agriculture in the Sofi district.
Three stages sampling procedure was followed in selecting the study district, villages and
representative respondents. Accordingly, one kebele and 60 household heads were selected using
purposive sampling and systematic random sampling, respectively. In addition to the soil data
and secondary data, structure interview schedule was developed, pre-tested and used for
collecting quantitative data. The soil analysis result showed that organic agriculture contribute
for the improvement of soil chemical property that is the mixed farming practice was
significantly different in soil PH, nitrogen, organic matter, organic carbon and available
phosphors than in mono cropping farming system. The descriptive result shows that all the
farmers (100%) of the sample respondent participated in land preparation and 98.3% of them
participated in manure application and also 98.3% of the sample respondents in participated
weeding practices. 98.3% of the sample respondents were participated in harvesting activities.
93.3% of the sample respondents were participated in the fertilizer application activities. 68.3%
of the sample respondents were participated in irrigation activities. 13.3% sample respondents
were participated in seed treatment activates. To adopt organic agriculture practices whereby
financial institutions and other agricultural funders should extend credit or support to
agricultural activities with farming practices and technologies that promote organic
agriculture.
