Harnessing psychological dynamics to enhance climate-smart agricultural practices: a comparative study of small-scale farmers in China and Pakistan

This study investigates the role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) dimensions in shaping farm performance within the context of climate-smart agriculture (CSA), with a focus on small-scale farmers in China and Pakistan. This study adopts a cross-cultural approach to examine how key EO traits-autonomy, innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking, and competitive aggressiveness-affect the adoption of CSA practices. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multivariate Probit (MVP) models were used to analyze the relationships between psychological dynamics and CSA adoption strategies among farmers in both countries. This study reveals that EO dimensions significantly influence the adoption of CSA practices. Autonomy positively influences agro-technical assistance in China and agri-finance in Pakistan. Innovativeness is associated with agricultural finance, engineering, and intercropping in China, whereas in Pakistan, it drives crop adjustments and agro-technical support. Proactiveness is positively related to crop rotation, agro-technical support in China, and water and fertilizer management in Pakistan. Risk taking was positively correlated with diverse CSA practices in both countries. Competitive aggressiveness showed divergent effects, influencing CSA adoption differently in China and Pakistan. This research underscores the importance of EO traits in promoting CSA adoption, providing policymakers, researchers, and practitioners with valuable insights for fostering sustainable farming practices. The findings suggest that tailored strategies addressing farmers' psychological traits can enhance CSA adoption in diverse agricultural contexts. This study contributes to our understanding of the psychological dynamics that influence CSA adoption, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. Examining the comparative experiences of farmers in China and Pakistan highlights the role of entrepreneurial orientation in shaping sustainable agricultural practices, offering valuable insights for policy development and agricultural intervention strategies.