Abstract:
Agriculture is a vital sector for economic development and livelihoods in developing
countries, particularly in Africa. In Ethiopia, where agriculture plays a crucial role,
adopting climate-smart agricultural practice is essential for improving productivity and
resilience to climate change. This study was aimed at identifying determinants of climate-
smart agricultural practices adoption among smallholder maize farmers and evaluating
the impact of these practices on maize productivity in Gimbo District of Kaffa Zone,
Ethiopia. Primary data were collected from 384 households and 776 maize plots using
semi-structured questionnaires, key informants, and focus group discussions, while
secondary data were gathered from district and local agricultural offices. The study
employed a multinomial logit model to identify factors influencing climate-smart
agricultural practices adoption and a multinomial endogenous switching regression model
to assess the impact of adoption on maize productivity. The results revealed that factors
such as sex, education, household size, farm size, access to climate information, and
agricultural extension services significantly and positively influenced the adoption of
climate-smart agricultural practices. Conversely, age, distance to farmer training centers,
average distance from home to maize plot, and fertile soil negatively impacted adoption
rates in the study area. The analysis showed that adopters of climate-smart agricultural
practices, including improved maize varieties, crop rotation, and intercropping
experienced substantial yield increases compared to non-adopters. Notably, the full
package of climate-smart agricultural practices provided the greatest yield benefit, with
adopters achieving an additional 3745.11 kg/ha. The study concludes that climate-smart
agricultural practices significantly enhance maize productivity and that the benefits of
adoption are more pronounced among those who effectively utilize these practices. Based
on the study recommendations, strengthening agricultural extension services, increasing
access to education and training, improving credit facilities, and addressing geographical
barriers to support broader adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices
