The agricultural sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and highly vulnerable to climate change. Climate-Smart Rice Cultivation (CSRC) offers a pathway to improve productivity, resilience, and reduce emissions in rice farming. This study evaluates CSRC’s impact on technical efficiency and income in Pasuruan District, East Java, under the ‘Rejoso Kita Phase 2’ project by World Agroforestry (ICRAF). A total of 249 rice farmers—168 CSRC adopters and 81 non-adopters—were surveyed using structured interviews. Stochastic frontier analysis and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) were applied to control for selection bias and estimate treatment effects. CSRC adopters statistically significant achieved higher technical efficiency (0.872) compared to non-CSRC (0.737). Although CSRC farmers achieved higher income (IDR 5,782,717) compared to non-CSRC (IDR 4,290,970), the difference was not statistically significant. Key determinants of adoption include age, experience, and land tenure; younger and more experienced farmers are more likely to adopt. These findings suggest that scaling CSRC can enhance resource-use efficiency and strengthen climate resilience, especially when supported through targeted outreach to younger farmers, capacity-building programs, and risk-mitigating incentives. Policy recommendations include promoting CSRC branding, strengthening value chains, and facilitating access to direct marketing channels to improve economic benefits over time.
Tag: agricultural production
Transforming landscapes and livelihoods in Tigray: Evidence, innovation and development pathways
Key messages
- 71,904 vulnerable households empowered through climate-sensitive support (45 percent women)
- 939 households earned ETB 6.9 million from egg sales, significantly improving nutrition
- Achieved 73 percent herd growth, ensuring long-term income and food security for households
- Climate-smart irrigation technology boosted agricultural productivity by 20 percent
- 40.5 hectares (ha) of degraded land transformed into productive multifunctional agroforestry
- Strategically converted degraded hillsides and gullies into community opportunities
- 42 farmer research groups (1,524 farmers) accelerated the adoption of climate- resilient breeds
- 56 revitalized local institutions now provide crucial inputs/services to over 66,000 households
- 7,425 beneficiaries capacitated through inclusive, socially acceptable approaches
- Community provided 13,437 free labour days and added ETB 3.3–6 million in value to the project, driving local ownership and sustainability.
Agro‑ecological and Genetic Drivers of Symbiotic Efficiency of Indigenous Rhizobium etli Strains in Common Bean in Southern Ethiopia
A total of 36 root‑nodule bacteria were isolated from southern Ethiopia using the Red Wolaita common bean variety, and 26 were authenticated as rhizobia and then screened for symbiotic effectiveness in a greenhouse at Arba Minch University. Among the authentic isolates, strains AMU23, AMU74, and AMU3A had symbiotic effectiveness values of 138%, 117%, and 116.7%, respectively, and were further evaluated along with a commercial strain, HB429, in farmers’ fields at varying altitudes with the Red Wolaita common bean variety. The selected rhizobial isolates were introduced by seed inoculation with coal‑based formulations prepared under controlled laboratory conditions, along with a commercial reference inoculant. In the field trial, the native strain AMU23 showed the highest nodule number (138.3), nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (84%), and grain yield (2.24 tons ha⁻¹), with superior production‑induced traits and larger effects at the lower altitude (Arguba site, 1160 m.a.s.l.). On the other hand, the strain AMU74 had the highest performance at the higher altitude (Tegecha site, 2174 m.a.s.l.), suggesting that native strains’ symbiotic efficiency and yield improvement were influenced by altitude. However, their effectiveness was also influenced by soil fertility parameters and environmental factors. In comparison, the commercial strain exhibited significantly lower grain yield and symbiotic performance (p < 0.05) than the native strains at both locations, yet it still improved productivity, indicating the superior efficacy of the locally sourced strains over the commercial inoculant. A multi‑locus sequence analysis (MLSA) clustered the native strains within the Rhizobium etli–Rhizobium phaseoli species complex, including Rhizobium etli CFN42 and Rhizobium phaseoli VMW4, whereas the commercial strain HB429 clusters tightly with the Rhizobium etli strain HBR51.
Agroeconomic performance and labor dynamics associated with coffee and black pepper diversified cropping systems
This study examines the agronomic, labor, and economic impacts of crop diversification in Robusta coffee and black pepper farming systems in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, where these commodities are major sources of income for approximately 800,000 households. In response to market volatility, many farmers have diversified production by integrating coffee, black pepper, and fruit or nut tree species within the same farms. Using survey data from 238 households, the study compares monoculture systems with diversified cropping systems to evaluate differences in resource use, productivity, labor requirements, and profitability. The results show that diversification enhances land-use efficiency through higher planting densities and improves nutrient-use efficiency while maintaining coffee and black pepper yields at the individual plant level. Although coffee and pepper yields per hectare tended to decrease in diversified systems, production from additional crops compensated for these reductions. Resource-use patterns differed between commodities, with black pepper systems requiring greater phosphorus inputs and pesticide use, whereas coffee systems relied more heavily on nitrogen fertilizers and irrigation. Diversified coffee systems applied water more frequently but in smaller amounts per tree, contributing to reduced overall water use. Labor requirements also varied considerably among systems. Black pepper production was the most labor-intensive activity, particularly during harvest periods. Diversification helped distribute labor demand more evenly throughout the year, reducing seasonal labor peaks. Economically, black pepper systems generated higher gross outputs but also incurred greater operating costs, resulting in gross margins similar to those of other systems. Diversified systems, however, provided higher returns to labor. Overall, the findings indicate that diversification offers important benefits in resource-use efficiency and labor management while maintaining comparable profitability under prevailing market conditions, supporting the development of more resilient farming systems in the Central Highlands.
Understanding gendered aspirations, decision-making, and fruit tree preferences in Makueni County, Kenya
In Makueni County, Kenya, smallholder farmers face erratic rainfall, severe droughts, recurrent floods, and water scarcity due to climate change. Understanding farmers’ aspirations is therefore essential to ensuring that support is relevant and responsive. This study explored: (1) farmers’ aspirations for farm composition, particularly fruit tree species, and potential changes in response to market and climate shifts; (2) gender dynamics shaping fruit tree cultivation decisions; and (3) connections between cultivated species, aspirations, and decision-making across gender and age. Data collected via focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews revealed a shift towards fruit-tree-based livelihoods, ostensibly offering improved food and income security and reduced labour. However, this shift, dominated by a few exotic species, may reduce farm- and landscape-scale species diversity. Decision-making was strongly gendered: men dominated species selection and management and controlled large-scale sales of higher-value fruit, owing to land ownership, knowledge and cultural norms, while women held greater power over small-scale sales, lower-value species and the income these generated. To foster equitable, resilient farming systems, we recommend inclusive, gender-responsive fruit tree production and management training. Transforming gender relations to amplify women’s voices in species selection could diversify fruit tree portfolios and lead to more equitable and biodiverse farming systems.
Tree diversity and land use choices in agroforestry systems: co-learning through the FORCES game in Indonesia
Farmers make choices about their land-use portfolio based on their experience, incomplete information and social connections. Rather than imposing normative economic or ecological rationales for farmer choices, a participatory simulation game can lead to co-learning. We utilized a plot-level game, Farmer Options, Risks in Complex Ecological-Social system (FORCES), to explore the management of tree and crop diversity in three contrasting landscapes in Indonesia. We assessed farmer management choices, responses to socio-ecological pressures and quantified game impacts on changes in farmer discourse. We found gendered preferences for plant species and land-use practices. Most older farmers preferred tree-based system, while young farmers chose annual food crops, opting for higher income despite risks. Social, cultural, and ecological reasons played important role in decision-making alongside economic factors but depended on the local context. By clarifying consequences of farmers’ choices, a top-down and bottom-up approach can be reconciled in the search for sustainable landscape management.
Footprints of meteorology and air pollution on rice yield variation in the North Indian Plain; implications of future climate change scenarios
The global food system faces challenges from climate change and air pollution. Here, we examined their effects on rice yield in the North Indian plain (NIP), one of the principal rice-growing areas of the world. Combining satellite-based biophysical data products and spectral indices with soil moisture and fertilizer usage, we mapped high-resolution rice yield indiscriminately for both irrigated and rainfed systems in the NIP during the summer monsoon from 2004 to 2019. The footprints of meteorology and air pollution on the changing patterns of rice yield were isolated through multivariate linear models. The forced components of these models led to the estimation of relative yield change (RYC), the course of which was later simulated for the future climate change scenarios using CMIP6 data up to 2035. The largest effect on rice yield was estimated due to the variability of maximum temperature (−35 kg ha−1 to 212 kg ha−1) in the meteorological model, followed by aerosol loading (−80 kg ha−1 to 7 kg ha−1) in the air pollution model. The analysis of the RYC and its sensitivity using the CMIP6 climate change scenarios (SSP2 and SSP5) shows that among all agroclimatic regions, the Lower Gangetic Plain in the eastern NIP is resilient to the variability of meteorology and air pollution, while other agroclimatic regions – in the central and western NIP – show a remarkable reduction in their projected yields by 2035. The findings have serious implications for the supply chain and may increase pressure on the grain import due to climate change-driven future states of meteorology and air pollution.
Agroforestry Innovations for Improved Soil Fertility and Resilience to Climate Change
Agroforestry practices involve a wide range of trees and woody shrubs that are protected or planted and managed on agricultural landscapes. Integrating trees in cropping and livestock systems has led to the development of various agroforestry innovations. These innovations are considered to be low-cost, agro-ecologically sustainable, and can be relied upon to build smallholder farmer’s resilience to climate change. These agroforestry innovations have a great potential of contributing to both climate change adaptation and mitigation, thereby making considerable positive impact to sustainable agriculture and natural resources productivity leading to increased crop yields, better livelihoods, and a more resilient environment.
Intercropping with legumes in the Congo Basin increases maize yields but not greenhouse gas emissions
Agricultural intensification on existing arable lands has been proposed to reduce deforestation in the Congo Basin, although the effects of intensification on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have not yet been investigated. Here, we present the first field study to quantify the trade-offs between yield and GHG emissions across different intensification options in this region. We show that intercropping with nitrogen-fixing beans not only provided additional protein-rich food but also increased maize yields by 1.4-fold while leaving N2O emissions and the soil CH4 sink unchanged compared to unfertilized maize. In contrast, a moderate mineral fertilizer application of 66 kg N ha−1 yr−1 doubled yields, but reduced the soil CH4 sink strength, and increased N2O emissions fivefold to about 4 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1. These N2O emissions also exceeded those of natural forests by more than a factor of three, highlighting the GHG cost of mineral fertilizer use in addition to CO2 emissions from soil organic carbon loss following land conversion. In sum, intercropping with nitrogen-fixing beans had the lowest yield-scaled GHG emissions and can help to address protein malnutrition in regions with limited access to mineral fertilizers or particularly high N2O emissions.
Predicting people’s priorities for reconciling food security and biodiversity conservation in Kasungu, Malawi
Balancing agricultural productivity with biodiversity conservation is a critical challenge in rural Africa, where food insecurity and poverty intersect with growing ecological pressures. Understanding how communities anticipate and respond to socio-ecological change is essential for designing interventions that sustain livelihoods while safeguarding biodiversity. Using scenario-based methods with 317 household interviews near Kasungu National Park, Malawi, we explored how plausible futures, spanning conservation strategies, agricultural policies, and public interventions, might influence food security, natural resource use, people-park relations, and wellbeing. Scenarios involving increased farm input prices and wildlife translocations were widely expected to reduce food security and wellbeing and were perceived as unfair. In contrast, universal input subsidies and wildlife damage compensation were seen as fair and beneficial, though questions remain about their sustainability and governance. Buffer zone restoration generated geographically divergent responses: generally accepted in fenced communities but strongly opposed in unfenced areas due to expected restrictions on farmland and resource access. These findings demonstrate that interventions are experienced unevenly, shaped by geography, history, and social context. Policies that apply blanket approaches risk reinforcing inequities and undermining legitimacy. More effective strategies should integrate local perspectives, anticipate trade-offs, and align biodiversity goals with food security and human wellbeing.