Barriers to Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption Among Agricultural Co-operative Smallholder Farmers in Bukoba, Tanzania

Abstract

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) offers a viable pathway for enhancing productivity and resilience among smallholder farmers facing increasing climate variability, yet adoption remains low across Tanzania. This study analysed the barriers to CSA adoption among 384 randomly selected smallholder farmers in Bukoba District. Additionally, qualitative data were obtained from 45 AMCOS members through nine focus group discussions, complemented by key informant interviews with 12 ward-level agricultural extension officers and one District Cooperative Officer. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, integrating descriptive statistics and the Weighted Index Score (WIS) for quantitative data with thematic analysis for the qualitative component. The findings identified limited access to credit, inadequate weather information, insufficient fertiliser supply, and weak extension services as the most severe barriers, whereas land and infrastructural factors were less binding. The qualitative evidence corroborated these results. The study concludes that CSA adoption is constrained by interconnected institutional and input-related factors rather than isolated variables. This study contributes to the literature by extending understanding of the barriers to climate-smart agriculture adoption within agricultural cooperative settings, an area that has received limited empirical attention in Tanzania. Strengthening cooperative credit, climate information, and input delivery systems is therefore recommended to advance CSA adoption among smallholder farmers in similar contexts.