Report

Gender-differentiated perception of climate-smart agricultural practices in contrasting landscapes of the Ethiopian highlands

author(s) Nigussie, Abebe - Recha, John W.M. - Ambaw, Gebermedihin - Radeny, Maren A.O. - Tesfaye, Abonesh - Abera, Wuletawu - Tamene, Lulseged D. - Solomon, Dawit
from Bioversity-CIAT Alliance
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regions
  • Africa
  • World
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Eastern Africa
citation

Nigussie A, Recha JW, Ambaw G, Radeny M, Tesfaye A, Abera A, Tamene L, Solomon D. 2021. Gender differentiated perception of climate-smart agricultural practices in contrasting landscapes of the Ethiopian highlands. CCAFS Technical Report. Wageningen, the Netherlands: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
Gender-differentiated perception of climate-smart agricultural practices in contrasting landscapes of the Ethiopian highlands

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Abstract

Climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices have been promoted as a prominent strategy to offset the adverse effect of climate change on food production and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Even though several studies have shown farmers` perception on CSA practices, gender-differentiated perception has hardly been studied. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate gender-disaggregated differences in terms of: (i) experience in climate change and its negative impacts, (ii) perception towards CSA practices, and (iii) motivation and constraining factors to uptake CSA. A total of 800 farmers were interviewed from two climate-smart landscapes – which vary in terms of practices, years of implementation and degree of gender-inclusion in decision making. CSA interventions increased yield and income by two-to-threefold. Food availability and diversity also increased
owing to CSA practices. Farmers who adopted CSA practices were almost twice less likely to borrow or spend money for food and other goods. A higher number of CSA non-adopters sold their assets and/or changed food consumption pattern following climate-related shocks. The gender-disaggregated data showed variation in the perception of CSA practices between female and male headed households. This difference is mainly attributed to variation in access to resources, education, information on weather forecasts and participation in decisionmaking. Male farmers tended to have better knowledge on the benefits of CSA practices, and the difference was more pronounced at the landscape level where women participation in decision-making is limited. Female farmers showed low preference for CSA practices which requires labour (i.e., soil bunds and green manuring) and knowledge (i.e., crop diversification). The findings demonstrate the significance of gender equality in decision-making, access to climate information and agricultural extension services for rapid uptake of CSA practices, thereby curbing the negative effects of climate change on agricultural production in Ethiopia.

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