Gendered vulnerability and inequality: understanding drivers of climate-smart agriculture dis- and nonadoption among smallholder farmers in Malawi and Zambia

In this study we explore gender-differentiated drivers of disadoption and nonadoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies among smallholder farmers for everyday adaptation and resilience building in the face of the increasing threat of climate risk. We apply theoretical perspectives from mainstream technology adoption and gendered vulnerability to identify underlying vulnerabilities and inequalities that drive disadoption (the decision to discontinue any CSA technology previously practiced) and nonadoption (the decision not to use any form of CSA technology). We used an exploratory-sequential mixed methods design at the local level in Chikwawa, Malawi, and Gwembe, Zambia, to understand gender-differentiated drivers of CSA disadoption and nonadoption. Key interviews were conducted with identified critical informants at the district level, followed by focus group discussions with men and women at the village level to obtain qualitative data. We collected quantitative data through a cross-sectional household survey. Findings show that gender-differentiated drivers of CSA disadoption and nonadoption fall within social, economic, institutional, and environmental categories and underlying gendered vulnerability and inequality shape these drivers. CSA is introduced within preexisting gendered vulnerability and inequality, shaping adoption decisions by diverse groups of female and male smallholder farmers. Consequently, CSA outcomes of improved agricultural productivity, adaptation, and resilience building may not be equally achieved because of gender inequalities and vulnerabilities that demotivate diverse households from adopting CSA. This work contributes to a contemporary gender-transformative paradigm in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction by focusing on CSA adoption in climate-sensitive regions.