Factors influencing farmer adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies: Evidence from Malaysia

Noor Hadzlida Ayob

Abstract

As technology advances, people become increasingly dependent on technological tools to increase their work efficiency and productivity. Farming methods in the agriculture sector are also undergoing a shift from conventional to technology-driven modern agriculture practices, primarily because of their benefits and potential to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, the adoption rate of climate-smart agriculture technologies (CSAT) is considered to be very slow. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the factors that lead farmers to adopt CSAT in their agricultural practices. A sample of 185 farmers was used to investigate the main influencing factors in four contexts. The developed model was analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling method. The results of this study suggest that institutions play a critical role as a contextual factor that leads individuals and societies to engage with CSAT, builds confidence, and convinces farmers to adopt these technologies. _ 2024 Mohd Amar Aziz, Noor Hadzlida Ayob, Nor Azira Ayob, Yarina Ahmad & Kamaruddin Abdulsomad, and the Centre of Sociological Research, Poland.

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