Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2025, 71(4):185-202 | DOI: 10.17221/87/2024-AGRICECON

Psychological perspectives on smallholder farmers' choice of climate change adaptation strategies and productivity nexus in Southwest, NigeriaOriginal Paper

Adetomiwa Kolapo ORCID...1, Akeem Abiade Tijani1, Seyi Olalekan Olawuyi2, Adeyera James Kolapo3, Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo1, Nolwazi Zanele Khumalo4, Khalid. Mohamed Elhindi5, Hazem Kassem6
1 Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
2 Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
3 Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
4 Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, Richards Bay, South Africa
5 Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
6 Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Society, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

In recent pasts, high priority has been placed on encouraging the implementation of various climate change adaptation techniques to adapt to the disastrous effects of climate change. Like in other countries affected by climate change, Nigerian farmers were also encouraged by governmental and non-governmental organisations to implement techniques for adapting to climate change impact. In this study, we use a psychological approach to investigate how a mix of socioeconomic and psycho-cognitive factors affect smallholder farmers' decisions about various climate change adaptation strategies and the consequent impact of the adoption of adaptation strategies on crop yield. Following the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the adoption decision of farmers was modelled using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and the ordered probit model. The impact of adopting adaptation strategies on productivity was evaluated using multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR). The MESR helps to address endogeneity issues that might arise as a result of inconsistencies in the behavioural responses of the farmers. Our result indicates that psycho-cognitive factors like intentions and personal norms significantly predicted the number of climate change adaptation strategies the farmers ultimately embraced and implemented on their farms. We also found that the smallholder farmers' yield and income were most significantly impacted by the adoption of land restoration as a climate change adaptation strategy. The findings will assist in the design of more effective policy instruments to remove adoption hurdles as well as crafting tailored extension services that resonate with the realities of the farmer and thus help foster behavioural change.

Keywords: MESR; Nigeria; structural equation modelling; theory of planned behaviour

Received: March 6, 2024; Revised: January 23, 2025; Accepted: February 13, 2025; Prepublished online: April 28, 2025; Published: April 30, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Kolapo A, Abiade Tijani A, Olalekan Olawuyi S, Kolapo AJ, Ojo TO, Zanele Khumalo N, et al.. Psychological perspectives on smallholder farmers' choice of climate change adaptation strategies and productivity nexus in Southwest, Nigeria. Agric. Econ. - Czech. 2025;71(4):185-202. doi: 10.17221/87/2024-AGRICECON.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abdulai A.N., Abdulai A. (2017): Examining the impact of conservation agriculture on environmental efficiency among maize farmers in Zambia. Environment and Development Economics, 22: 177-201. Go to original source...
    2. Abid M., Schneider U.A., Scheffran J. (2016): Adaptation to climate change and its impacts on food productivity and crop income: Perspectives of farmers in rural Pakistan. Journal of Rural Studies, 47: 254-266. Go to original source...
    3. Adetoro A.A., Singels A., Paraskevopoulos A.L., Owusu-Sekyere E., Jordaan H., Orimoloye I.R. (2020): Alleviating water shortages by decreasing water footprint in sugarcane production: The impacts of different soil mulching and irrigation systems in South Africa. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 11: 100464. Go to original source...
    4. Ahnström J., Höckert J., Bergeå H.L., Francis C.A., Skelton P., Hallgren L. (2009): Farmers and nature conservation: What is known about attitudes, context factors and actions affecting conservation? Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 24: 38-47. Go to original source...
    5. Aliyu K.T., Kamara A.Y., Huising E.J., Jibrin J.M., Shehu B.M., Rurinda J., Vanlauwe B. (2022): Maize nutrient yield response and requirement in the maize belt of Nigeria. Environmental Research Letters, 17: 064025. Go to original source...
    6. Ajzen I. (1985): From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behaviour. In action control: From cognition to behaviour. Berlin/Heidelberg. Springer: 11-39. Go to original source...
    7. Ajzen I. (1988): Attitudes, Personality, and Behaviour. Chicago. IL. Dorsey: 24-37.
    8. Ajzen I. (1991): The theory of planned behaviour. Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, 50: 179-211. Go to original source...
    9. Ajzen I. (2002): Perceived behavioural control, self-efficacy, locus of control, and the theory of planned behaviour. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32: 665-83. Go to original source...
    10. Akano O., Modirwa S., Oluwasemire K., Oladele O. (2023): Awareness and perception of climate change by smallholder farmers in two agroecological zones of Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria. GeoJournal, 88: 39-68. Go to original source...
    11. Arora N.K. (2019): Impact of climate change on agriculture production and its sustainable solutions. Environmental Sustainability, 2: 95-96. Go to original source...
    12. Arslan A., McCarthy N., Lipper L., Asfaw S., Cattaneo A., (2014): Adoption and intensity of adoption of conservation farming practices in Zambia. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 187: 72-86. Go to original source...
    13. Asrat P., Simane B. (2018): Farmers' perception of climate change and adaptation strategies in the Dabus watershed, North-West Ethiopia. Ecological Processes, 7: 1-13. Go to original source...
    14. Awazi N.P., Tchamba M.N., Avana T.M.L. (2019): Climate change resiliency choices of small-scale farmers in Cameroon: Determinants and policy implications. Journal of Environmental Management, 250: 109560. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    15. Bandura A. (1977): Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioural change. Psychological Review, 84: 191-215. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Bandura A. (1982): Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 37: 122. Go to original source...
    17. Belay A., Recha J.W., Woldeamanuel T., Morton J.F. (2017): Smallholder farmers' adaptation to climate change and determinants of their adaptation decisions in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Agriculture & Food Security, 6: 1-13. Go to original source...
    18. Bidzakin J.K, Fialor S.C, Awunyo-Vitor D., Yahaya I. (2019): Impact of contract farming on rice farm performance: Endogenous switching regression. Cogent economics and Finance, 7:1618229. Go to original source...
    19. Chen K., Ali M., Veeman M., Unterschultz J., Le T. (2002): Relative importance rankings for pork attributes by Asian-origin consumers in California: Applying an ordered probit model to a choice-based sample. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 34: 67-79. Go to original source...
    20. Chouinard H.H., Paterson T., Wandschneider P.R., Ohler A.M. (2008): Will farmers trade profits for stewardship? Heterogeneous motivations for farm practice selection. Land Economics, 84: 66-82. Go to original source...
    21. Clayton S., Myers G. (2009): Conservation psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for nature. Environmental Conservation C Foundation for Environmental Conservation, 37: 222-225.
    22. Conner M., Armitage C. (1998): Extending the theory of planned behaviour: A review and avenues for further research. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28: 1429-1464. Go to original source...
    23. Conner M., Sparks P. (1996): The theory of planned behaviour and health behaviours. In Predicting Health Behaviour: Research and Practice with Social Cognition Models. Edited by Mark Conner and Paul Norman. Buckingham, Open University Press: 121-162.
    24. Dang H.L., Li E., Nuberg I., Bruwer J. (2014): Understanding farmers' adaptation intention to climate change: A structural equation modelling study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Environmental Science & Policy, 41: 11-22. Go to original source...
    25. Diallo A., Donkor E., Owusu V. (2020): Climate change adaptation strategies, productivity and sustainable food security in southern Mali. Climatic Change Springer, 3: 1-12. Go to original source...
    26. D'souza G., Cyphers D., Phipps T. (1993): Factors affecting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 22: 159-165. Go to original source...
    27. Daykin A.R., Moffatt P.G. (2002): Analysing ordered responses: A review of the ordered probit model. Understanding Statistics, 1: 157-166. Go to original source...
    28. Deressa T.T., Hassan R.M., Ringler C., Alemu T., Yesuf M. (2009): Determinants of farmers' choice of adaptation methods to climate change in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia. Global Environmental Change, 19: 248-255. Go to original source...
    29. Etwire P.M., Koomson I., Martey E. (2022): Impact of climate change adaptation on farm productivity and household welfare. Climatic Change, 170: 11. Go to original source...
    30. FAOSTAT (2020): Statistical Database. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. Available at https://www.fao.org/home/fr/ (accessed Apr 8, 2021).
    31. Fornell C., Larcker D.F. (1981): Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18: 39. Go to original source...
    32. Giller K. E., Witter E., Corbeels M., Tittonell P. (2009): Conservation agriculture and smallholder farming in Africa: The heretics' view. Field Crops Research, 114: 23-34. Go to original source...
    33. Gliem J.A., Gliem R.R. (2003): Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for likert-type scales. Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education. Available at https://scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu/items/63734e75-1604-45b6-aed8-40dddd7036ee (accessed July 10, 2017).
    34. Greene W.H., Hensher D.A. (2008): Modelling ordered choices: A primer and recent developments. SSRN Electronic Journal. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1213093 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1213093 (accessed June 11, 2021). Go to original source...
    35. Harvey C.A, Saborio Rodríguez M., Martinez Rodríguez M.R., Viguera B., Chain Guadarrama A., Vignola R., Alpizar F. (2018): Climate change impacts and adaptation among smallholder farmers in Central America. Agriculture & Food Security, 7: 1-20. Go to original source...
    36. Hair J.F., Ringle C. M., Sarstedt M. (2011): PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19: 139-152. Go to original source...
    37. Pörtner H.O., Roberts D.C., Tignor M.M.B., Poloczanska E.S., Mintenbeck K., Alegría A., Weyer N. (2022): Climate Change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group II to the sixth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 16-31.
    38. Jaleta M., Kassie M., Tesfaye K., Teklewold T., Jena P.R., Marenya P., Erenstein O. (2016): Resource saving and productivity enhancing impacts of crop management innovation packages in Ethiopia. Agriculture Economics, 47: 513-522. Go to original source...
    39. Jellason N.P., Baines R.N., Conway J.S., Ogbaga C.C. (2019): Climate change perceptions and attitudes to smallholder adaptation in northwestern Nigerian drylands. Social Sciences, 8: 1-20. Go to original source...
    40. Kassali R., Kolapo A., Ige I.O., Adebayo K.E. (2024): Analysis of consumers' preference and willingness to pay for orange-fleshed sweet potato in Osun state, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology, 14: 53-61. Go to original source...
    41. Kassie M., Zikhali P., Manjur K., Edwards S. (2009): Adoption of sustainable agriculture practices: Evidence from a semi-arid region of Ethiopia. Natural Resources Forum, 33: 189-198. Go to original source...
    42. Kassie M., Marenya P., Tessema Y., Jaleta M., Zeng D., Erenstein O., Rahut D. (2018): Measuring farm and market level economic impacts of improved maize production technologies in Ethiopia: Evidence from panel data. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 69: 76-95. Go to original source...
    43. Kassie M., Teklewold H., Marenya P., Jaleta M., Erenstein O. (2015): Production risks and food security under alternative technology choices in Malawi: Application of a multinomial endogenous switching regression. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 66: 640-659. Go to original source...
    44. Knowler D., Bradshaw B. (2007): Farmers' adoption of conservation agriculture: A review and synthesis of recent research. Food Policy, 32: 25-48. Go to original source...
    45. Kolapo A., Kolapo A.J. (2023): Implementation of conservation agricultural practices as an effective response to mitigate climate change impact and boost crop productivity in Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 12: 1-9. Go to original source...
    46. Läpple D., Kelley H. (2013): Understanding the uptake of organic farming: Accounting for heterogeneities among Irish farmers. Ecological Economics, 88: 11-19. Go to original source...
    47. Lin S. (2013): The gap between global issues and personal behaviours: Pro-environmental behaviours of citizens toward climate change in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 18: 773-783. Go to original source...
    48. Lynne G.D., Shonkwiler J.S., Rola L.R. (1988): Attitudes and farmer conservation behaviour. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 70: 12. Go to original source...
    49. Mare F., Bahta Y.T., Van Niekerk W. (2018): The impact of drought on commercial livestock farmers in South Africa. Development in Practice, 28: 884-898. Go to original source...
    50. Marie M., Yirga F., Haile M., Tquabo F. (2020): Farmers' choices and factors affecting adoption of climate change adaptation strategies: Evidence from northwestern Ethiopia. Heliyon, 6: 1-10. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    51. Mutyasira V., Hoag D., Pendell D. (2018): The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by smallholder farmers in Ethiopian highlands: An integrative approach. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 4: 1-17. Go to original source...
    52. Mutyasira V., Hoag D., Pendell D., Manning D. (2018b): Is sustainable intensification possible? Evidence from Ethiopia. Sustainability, 10: 4174. Go to original source...
    53. Ogunleye A.S., Kehinde A.D., Kolapo A. (2020): Effects of social capital dimensions on income of cocoa farming households in Osun state. Tanzanian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 19: 131-137.
    54. Ojo T.O., Baiyegunhi L.J.S., Adetoro A.A., Ogundeji A.A. (2021): Adoption of soil and water conservation technology and its effect on the productivity of smallholder rice farmers in southwest Nigeria. Heliyon, 7: e06433. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    55. Oyetunde-Usman Z., Olagunju K.O., Ogunpaimo O.R. (2021): Determinants of adoption of multiple sustainable agricultural practices among smallholder farmers in Nigeria. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 9: 241-248. Go to original source...
    56. Quinn C., Burbach M.E. (2008): Personal characteristics preceding pro-environmental behaviours that improve surface water quality. Great Plains Research (University of Nebraska Press), 18: 103-114.
    57. Rabirou K., Kolapo A., Lasisi A.L. (2022): Competitiveness of broiler production in Nigeria: A policy analysis matrix approach. Heliyon (Elsevier), 8: e09298. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    58. Sarstedt M., Ringle C.M., Smith D., Reams R., Hair J.F. (2014): Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM): A useful tool for family business researchers. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 5: 105-115. Go to original source...
    59. Solis D., Bravo-Ureta B., Quiroga R. (2007): Soil conservation and technical efficiency among hillside farmers in Central America: A switching regression model. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 51: 491-510. Go to original source...
    60. Stern P. (2000): Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behaviour. The Journal of Social Issues, 56: 407-424. Go to original source...
    61. Tambo J.A., Abdoulaye T. (2012): Climate change and agricultural technology adoption: The case of drought tolerant maize in rural Nigeria. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 17: 277-292. Go to original source...
    62. Tatlidil F.F., Boz İ., Tatlidil H. (2009): Farmers' perception of sustainable agriculture and its determinants: A case study in Kahramanmaras province of Turkey. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 11: 1091-1106. Go to original source...
    63. Teklewold H., Kassie M., Shiferaw B., Köhlin G. (2013): Cropping system diversification, conservation tillage and modern seed adoption in Ethiopia: Impacts on household income, agrochemical use and demand for labor. Ecological Economics, 93: 85-93. Go to original source...
    64. Teklu A., Simane B., Bezabih M. (2023): Effect of climate smart agriculture innovations on climate resilience among smallholder farmers: Empirical evidence from the choke mountain watershed of the Blue Nile Highlands of Ethiopia. Sustainability, 15: 4331. Go to original source...
    65. Thinda K.T., Ogundeji A.A., Belle J.A., Ojo T.O. (2020): Understanding the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers: Evidence from land reform beneficiaries in South Africa. Land Use Policy, 99: 104858. Go to original source...
    66. Toluwase S.O.W., Adejumo J.A., Kolapo A. (2017): Determinants of yam minisett technology adoption among rural farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, 5: 606-611.
    67. Wooldridge, J.M. (2002): Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data. Cambridge, The MIT Press, 551-644.
    68. Wollni M., Lee D.R., Thies J.E. (2010): Conservation agriculture, organic marketing, and collective action in the Honduran hillsides. Agricultural Economics, 41: 373-384. Go to original source...
    69. Wong K. (2013): Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) techniques using Smart PLS. Marketing Bulletin. Available at http://www.academia.edu/download/43l89928/ Smartpls.pdf (accessed Aug 7, 2017).

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content