512
climate change, while step 1 represented households with no capacity to adapt to
climate change. Respondents were asked to position themselves on the ladder of
adaptive capacity during the interviews.
A triangulation of data analysis methods was used to analyse the qualitative and
quantitative data. Qualitative data were coded and analysed through content and thematic analysis using both preset and emergent codes/themes. Qualitative data analysis
was conducted to explain the adoption and adaptive capacity trends between male and
female farmers, while quantitative data analysis provided the magnitude on the adoption trends and adaptive capacity between men and women. A ladder of adaptive
capacity was used to assess the level of adaptive capacity for male and female farmers.
3 Results and Discussion
3.1 Adoption of Technologies
The participants were requested to report the CSA technologies that they were
implementing in their respective areas. The CSA technologies were ranked according to the preference in the adoption between male and female farmers, and the
reasons for disadoption were also provided. The results were analysed according to
sex of household head as well as sex of the respondent. This section provides results
on CSA technologies, based on information provided by male and female farmers
from both male- and female-headed households, priorities in adoption and constraints for adoption of technologies.
Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies by Sex
of the Household Head
The results from the household interviews showed that fewer CSA technologies are
adopted by female-headed households than by their male counterparts. The main
technologies that were adopted by most of the male-headed households were rainwater harvesting, conservation agriculture and pit planting; however, the femaleheaded households did not adopt any of these three technologies (Fig. 1). The
discussions revealed that most of the CSA technologies are expensive and labour
intensive, and most of the female-household heads do not adopt them.
The discussions with male and female farmers revealed that there are preferences on
the types of technologies and crops by the male and female farmers. It was observed
that conservation agriculture is labour intensive at the beginning of the season because
of the scarcity of stalks for mulching, but it has many benefits, especially during dry
spells. For example, moisture content in the soil is high and weeds are minimal, so
instead of weeding, farmers just uproot the few weeds with hands. The labour and time
that is saved from this farming is invested in other farming activities, income-generating activities and household chores. However, CA is also challenging because of pests
and diseases that attack crops if herbicides are not applied and most rural female farmT. K. Chibowa et al.
climate change, while step 1 represented households with no capacity to adapt to
climate change. Respondents were asked to position themselves on the ladder of
adaptive capacity during the interviews.
A triangulation of data analysis methods was used to analyse the qualitative and
quantitative data. Qualitative data were coded and analysed through content and thematic analysis using both preset and emergent codes/themes. Qualitative data analysis
was conducted to explain the adoption and adaptive capacity trends between male and
female farmers, while quantitative data analysis provided the magnitude on the adoption trends and adaptive capacity between men and women. A ladder of adaptive
capacity was used to assess the level of adaptive capacity for male and female farmers.
3 Results and Discussion
3.1 Adoption of Technologies
The participants were requested to report the CSA technologies that they were
implementing in their respective areas. The CSA technologies were ranked according to the preference in the adoption between male and female farmers, and the
reasons for disadoption were also provided. The results were analysed according to
sex of household head as well as sex of the respondent. This section provides results
on CSA technologies, based on information provided by male and female farmers
from both male- and female-headed households, priorities in adoption and constraints for adoption of technologies.
Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies by Sex
of the Household Head
The results from the household interviews showed that fewer CSA technologies are
adopted by female-headed households than by their male counterparts. The main
technologies that were adopted by most of the male-headed households were rainwater harvesting, conservation agriculture and pit planting; however, the femaleheaded households did not adopt any of these three technologies (Fig. 1). The
discussions revealed that most of the CSA technologies are expensive and labour
intensive, and most of the female-household heads do not adopt them.
The discussions with male and female farmers revealed that there are preferences on
the types of technologies and crops by the male and female farmers. It was observed
that conservation agriculture is labour intensive at the beginning of the season because
of the scarcity of stalks for mulching, but it has many benefits, especially during dry
spells. For example, moisture content in the soil is high and weeds are minimal, so
instead of weeding, farmers just uproot the few weeds with hands. The labour and time
that is saved from this farming is invested in other farming activities, income-generating activities and household chores. However, CA is also challenging because of pests
and diseases that attack crops if herbicides are not applied and most rural female farmT. K. Chibowa et al.