Adoption and intensity of soil erosion control practices among smallholder farmers in Rwanda

Agriculture is the backbone of Rwanda's economy, but severe soil erosion threatens land productivity and undermines rural livelihoods. With 77 % of Rwanda's land vulnerable to erosion and 90 % of cropland situated on steep slopes, effective soil conservation strategies are urgently needed. Despite this, limited research exists on the determinants of adoption and intensity of soil erosion control practices in Rwanda. This study fills the gap by employing nationally representative data from the Agricultural Household Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda to analyze factors influencing farmers' decisions to adopt soil conservation practices and the extent of their adoption. Using logistic and generalized Poisson regression models, the study reveals that adoption decisions and intensity are significantly influenced by farmer characteristics (gender, age), institutional factors (land tenure security, extension services, agricultural cooperatives, credit access), and farm attributes (farm size, participation in land consolidation programs). Key policy implications include simplifying land registration processes to enhance tenure security, strengthening agricultural cooperatives to support collective action, improving access to credit through tailored financial products, and expanding extension services to enhance farmers' technical capacity. These measures are particularly critical in Rwanda's context of steep slopes and fragile soils, where soil erosion poses significant challenges. The findings emphasize the importance of coordinated and context-specific interventions—such as providing targeted extension support for smallholders on steep slopes and designing credit schemes for farmers adopting labor-intensive practices—to promote sustainable soil conservation practices for sustainable agriculture in Rwanda and similar ecologically vulnerable settings globally. • Adoption and intensity of soil erosion control practices vary among Rwandan smallholder farmers. • Farmer traits, institutions, and farm attributes jointly shape adoption and intensity. • Simplify land registration to strengthen tenure and spur conservation investments. • Cooperatives, credit, and extension services significantly raise adoption intensity. • Promote coordinated, context-specific interventions for soil conservation in ecologically vulnerable settings.