ABSTRACT

Climate change is a critical environmental issue that has threatened sustainable rice production in Nigeria. The application of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) technologies by smallholder farmers is vital for sustaining rice production in the face of climate change impacts. We investigate rice farmers’ preferences and elicit willingness to pay (WTP) for CSA technologies, using the contingent valuation method (CVM). We find that most farmers do not utilize innovative CSA technologies. The CSA technologies most preferred by farmers are drip irrigation, drainage management, and weather-based rice agro-advisories. At the same time, they are willing to pay $115.63 annually for CSA, notably: $40.25 for knowledge-smart, $31.02 for water-smart, $17.97 for nutrient-smart, $17.72 for weather-smart, $6.82 for carbon-smart, and $1.85 for energy-smart technologies. Age, gender, access to credit, education, extension visit, farm size, and social group membership are significant predictors of farmers’ choices.

Key policy insights

• Identifying and prioritizing farmers’ preferred CSA technologies would enable them and other relevant stakeholders to make investment decisions.

• Given farmers’ low willingness to pay for CSA technologies, incentives such as subsidies and interest-free loans should be provided to boost uptake.

• Committing a substantial amount of money to credit facilities would help scale up CSA technologies’ adoption.

• A robust framework on the revitalization of agricultural extension services would increase extension visits, helping to scale up farmers’ adoption of CSA technologies.

摘要

气候变化是一个严重的环境问题，威胁到尼日利亚的可持续稻米生产。面对气候变化的影响，小农应用气候智能型农业 (CSA) 技术对于维持水稻生产至关重要。我们使用条件估值法 (CVM) 调查稻农的偏好并得出 CSA 技术的支付意愿 (WTP)。我们发现大多数农民没有使用创新的 CSA 技术。农民最喜欢的 CSA 技术是滴灌、排水管理和基于天气的水稻农业咨询。同时，他们愿意为 CSA 每年支付 115.63 美元，其中：知识智能 40.25 美元、节水智能 31.02 美元、营养智能 17.97 美元、天气智能 17.72 美元、碳智能 6.82 美元和 1 美元。85 用于能源智能技术。年龄、性别、获得信贷、教育、推广访问、农场规模和社会团体成员是农民选择的重要预测因素。

主要政策见解

• 确定并优先考虑农民首选的 CSA 技术将使他们和其他相关利益相关者能够做出投资决策。

• 鉴于农民对 CSA 技术的支付意愿较低，应提供补贴和无息贷款等激励措施来促进采用。

• 向信贷工具投入大量资金将有助于扩大 CSA 技术的采用。

• 振兴农业推广服务的强有力框架将增加推广访问，有助于扩大农民对 CSA 技术的采用。