Adoption Behind the Innovation: What Drives Smallholder Uptake of Climate-Smart Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa

Climate-smart agriculture is advancing through conservation practices, climate-resilient livestock systems, digital advisory services and gender-responsive extension models. However, adoption among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa remains uneven, partial and frequently short-lived. Current evidence suggests that technical performance alone does not determine uptake. Household decision-making, gendered access to labour and knowledge, financial constraints, institutional support, trust in digital tools and farmers’ perceptions of climate risks all influence whether an innovation is adopted, adapted or abandoned. Studies from Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda highlight the need to investigate these social, economic and institutional mechanisms more systematically and comparatively.This Research Topic aims to consolidate evidence on the factors that shape the adoption and sustained use of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. It will examine how intra-household dynamics, gender relations, resource access, extension services, digital technologies and institutional arrangements influence farmers’ decisions. The Research Topic also seeks to identify which combinations of technical, economic and social support can improve long-term uptake, and how climate-smart interventions can be designed to respond to farmers’ priorities and local conditions rather than focusing only on technological performance.To gather further insights into the decision-making processes underlying climate-smart agriculture adoption among smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:Digital agriculture, mobile advisory services and trust in technologyIntra-household decision-making, gender relations and labour allocationFarmers’ perceptions of climate change, risk and adaptationAdoption, adaptation and abandonment of climate-smart practicesConservation agriculture in resource-constrained environmentsClimate-smart livestock systems and livestock keepers’ decision-makingExtension services, farmer learning and knowledge exchangeAccess to finance, markets, land, labour and productive resourcesInstitutional support, policy implementation and governanceComparative studies across countries, farming systems and livelihood contextsSystematic reviews, household surveys, participatory research and case-based fieldworkPathways for scaling climate-smart innovations equitably and sustainablyArticle base: four papers with a shared themeThe following papers converge on a common question: why do smallholders adopt, adapt or resist climate-smart practices? Together, they examine the human, gendered and institutional factors that shape the uptake of climate-smart innovation in sub-Saharan Africa.Mediated influence of digital agriculture technologies on climate-smart agriculture decisions among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1818609/fullIntra-household gender differences in climate change perception and agricultural adaptation: evidence from Anambra state, Nigeria https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1851078/fullConservation agriculture as a response strategy to climate change in resource-scarce settings in North Western Ghanahttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1802248/fullFactors influencing adoption of climate-smart livestock practices in eastern Africa: insights from Uganda https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1718334/full Topic editors: Christopher Chagumaira, Andy Morse Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86467/adoption-behind-the-innovation-what-drives-smallholder-uptake-of-climate-smart-practices-in-sub-saharan-africa