Impact of adoption of sustainable agricultural practice on farm income in Bunno Bedelle Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The adoption of sustainable farming methods among smallholder maize growers in Southwestern Ethiopia can greatly enhance their farm income. This research seeks to offer an in-depth examination of how sustainable agricultural practices affect the income of farmers in Southwestern Ethiopia. This research focused on maize farmers in the Bunno Bedelle Zone by employing a multistage random sampling method to choose a sample of 382 maize growers. A mixed-methods approach combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used to collect information from both primary and secondary sources. The analyzed data utilized inferential statistics and econometric estimation techniques. Multinomial logit estimation result indicates the demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional characteristics play a significant role in shaping farmers’ decisions of adopting sustainable agricultural practices. According to the multinomial endogenous switching regression-based average treatment effect for treated and untreated results, ATT value indicated Intercropping, crop rotation, SWC, organic fertilizer, and a combination of SAPs were found to increase farm income by 14,300.61, 61,967.35, 71,106.61, 39,133.4, and 30,500.74 Ethiopian Birr(ETB), respectively. According to the ATU value, non-adopters of crop rotation, intercropping, SWC, organic fertilizer, and a combination of SAPs saw a decrease in farm income of 25,753.59, 29,669.14, 1912.56, 36,314.01, and 29,800.33 Ethiopian Birr (ETB), respectively. Implementing sustainable farming techniques is linked to increased earnings for smallholder maize farmers. The results of this study will serve as valuable guidance for forthcoming agricultural policies and practices that advance sustainability while tackling essential concerns related to farm income. Clinical trial registration: Not applicable.