Climate-smart agriculture adoption and technical efficiency of smallholder farms in Northern Togo

Climate-smart agriculture is heralded for enhancing productivity and combating climate change. It has been purported that the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies (CSAPT) remains limited, with various reasons. A key challenge in the existing literature is conflating traditional CSAPT, such as intercropping, with innovative CSAPT, like improved seeds, obscuring critical distinctions. Recognizing that CSAPT adoption is highly context-specific, especially in regions like Northern Togo with unique agro-ecological and socio-economic challenges, this study analyzed farm production efficiency under traditional and innovative CSAPT. Using data from over 500 households in Togo’s Kozah prefecture, farmers were categorized into those who adopted only traditional CSAPT and those combining traditional and innovative CSAPT. A binary probit model identified adoption determinants, while stochastic frontier analysis evaluated farmers’ technical efficiency. The findings indicate that most farmers continue to rely only on traditional CSAPT. Probit analysis indicates that factors like gender, land tenure, farm size, organization membership, and dry spell exposure influence the likelihood of adopting traditional and innovative CSAPT. Farmers combining traditional and innovative CSAPT had higher efficiency than those using only traditional methods. These findings have important policy implications. They emphasize the need for agricultural policies that reduce barriers to adopting innovative CSAPT. Policies should ensure land access for women, empower farmer organizations to spread technology, and develop localized climate-resilience strategies. These initiatives can increase the adoption of efficiency practices, boosting agricultural productivity and food security amid climate change.