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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Agron.
Sec. Agroecological Cropping Systems
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1502786
This article is part of the Research Topic Agroecological Practices To Enhance Resilience Of Farming Systems View all 5 articles

Comparative Profitability of Agroecological Practices in Ethiopian Wheat Farming

Provisionally accepted
Stanley Karanja Ng'ang'a Stanley Karanja Ng'ang'a 1*Sylvester Ochieng Ogutu Sylvester Ochieng Ogutu 1Tibebe Degefie Tibebe Degefie 2Devinia Akinyi Devinia Akinyi 3Jonathan Mockshell Jonathan Mockshell 4*
  • 1 International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Kampala, Uganda
  • 2 International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • 3 Kenya Forestry Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 4 International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Cauca, Colombia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Agroecology is increasingly being promoted as one of the pathways to sustainable food production. Agroecology aims to maximize the use of natural resources while minimizing the use of external inputs which have harmful effects on the environment. Adopting agroecological practices among farmers can increase farm productivity while maintaining environmental sustainability. However, some agroecological practices may require higher investment compared to the business as usual (BAU) practices. Moreover, previous studies have rarely examined the profitability and the relative risk that farmers face when adopting agroecological practices. To address this gap, we evaluate the comparative profitability and relative risk of implementing agroecological practices, including certified wheat seed, optimal site-specific inorganic fertilizer application rate, and drainage of waterlogged soils among wheat farmers Ethiopia. We use a deterministic cost-benefit analysis (CBA) model incorporating sensitivity and scenario analysis to assess the profitability and risk associated with these practices in terms of yield uncertainty, market fluctuations, and implementation changes. The deterministic CBA model generated robust results that investors can rely on in deciding which practice maximizes returns on investment. The findings show that the use of "certified seeds" was the most profitable practice with a net present value of US$ 2,531 ha -1 , followed by "Optimal site-specific inorganic fertilizer rate" (US$ 2,371 ha -1 ), while use of drainage practice was the least profitable (US$2,099 ha -1 ). We acknowledge that profitability is just one factor influencing farmer adoption, and further research is needed to explore the social and behavioral aspects of agroecological practice adoption.

    Keywords: agroecology, innovations, Ethiopia, cost-benefit, wheat, Farmers

    Received: 04 Oct 2024; Accepted: 29 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ng'ang'a, Ogutu, Degefie, Akinyi and Mockshell. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Stanley Karanja Ng'ang'a, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Kampala, Uganda
    Jonathan Mockshell, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, 763537, Cauca, Colombia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.