Adoption and Impacts of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Maize Yields and Incomes

Evidence from Rural Zambia

Bibliographic Data

ID23323115
AuthorsJulius Manda (0000-0002-9599-5906), Arega D Alene (0000-0002-2491-4603), Cornelis Gardebroek (0000-0002-3154-9464), Menale Kassie (0000-0002-6754-2432), Gelson Tembo (0000-0002-8586-9631, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume67
Issue1
Pages130-153
Publication date2016-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Agricultural Economics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-857X • E-ISSN: 1477-9552
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1477-9552.12127
OpenAlexW1502028606
LanguageEN
Citations received64
References cited49

This paper uses a multinomial endogenous treatment effects model and data from a sample of over 800 households and 3,000 plots to assess the determinants and impacts of adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) on maize yields and household incomes in rural Zambia. Results show that adoption decisions are driven by household and plot level characteristics and that the adoption of a combination of SAPs raises both maize yields and incomes of smallholder farmers. Adoption of improved maize alone has greater impacts on maize yields, but given the high cost of inorganic fertiliser that limits the profitability of adoption of improved maize, greater household incomes are associated rather with a package involving SAPs such as maize–legume rotation and residue retention.

Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Business · Economics · Geography · Multinomial logistic regression · Profitability index · Sustainable agriculture · Agricultural Economics and Policy · Agricultural Innovations and Practices · Agricultural Systems and Practices · Mathematics