Drivers and barriers to the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Technologies by smallholder farmers in South Africa: the role of technology characteristics and business models

Globally, there is a recognition of the need to reconcile environmental protection, invest in smallholder agriculture, reduce carbon emissions, improve food production and productivity and reduce carbon emissions, improve food production and productivity and reduce vulnerability to the predicted impacts of climate change. A proposed means promoted as way to address these challenges is Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), aimed at achieving sustainable agricultural development for food security under climate change. CSA technologies at farm level have the potential to address these challenges but they are not adequately adopted. This PhD research, therefore, focused on understanding what restricts the adequate adoption of high potential CSA technologies in South Africa and how can adoption of such technologies by smallholder farmers be enhanced. Findings revealed that indeed several CSA technologies exist that are directed to attain improved food security, increased resilience, and low-emissions in the face of a changing climate. Moreover, results showed that insufficient adoption of potential CSA technologies is as a result of several barriers that are experienced by the end-users (i.e. farmers) and providers of these technologies. Results also indicated that the business models that are employed to offer these technologies to farmers and the characteristics of these technologies as perceived by the farmers seemed to influence the decisions of farmers in adopting and using these technologies. Furthermore, results highlight that taking into considerations both farmers and agri-technology providers perspectives is suitable in understanding adoption and diffusion challenges as the approach is helpful in establishing demand-driven innovation processes, which is necessary in enhancing technology adoption in Base-of-Pyramid context