Adoption of rabbit farming as a sustainable livelihood strategy in the southern Philippines

Rabbit farming in the Philippines is gaining traction as an alternative enterprise amid the rising cost of pork and ongoing food security concerns. In order to understand the characteristics of potential rabbit farmers and identify the factors influencing their decision to engage in the activity, this study was undertaken to examine the adoption patterns of rabbit farming in the Zamboanga Peninsula Region, Mindanao, Philippines. A total of 273 farmers were surveyed, including 123 rabbit raisers and 150 non-raisers. The survey gathered data on socioeconomic and demographic factors and solicited perceptions using a 5-point Likert scale to assess perceived demand, profitability, cost of rabbit stocks and the acceptability of rabbit meat as a functional food. Logistic regression analysis was then employed to identify the factors significantly influencing the likelihood of adopting rabbit farming. The model was specified with adoption status as the binary dependent variable, while demographic, economic and perception-based variables served as predictors. The Hosmer–Lemeshow test, pseudo-R-squared measures and classification accuracy were used to assess goodnessof-fit, while variance inflation factor was calculated to diagnose multicollinearity among the predictors. Results revealed that training participation, access to credit and favourable perceptions of rabbit meat as a functional food significantly increased the likelihood of uptake, while doubts about demand and profitability remain a strong deterrent to engaging in rabbit production. It is recommended that local government units, agricultural extension agencies and relevant stakeholders should implement targeted support programmes, such as accessible microfinancing schemes for initial rabbit stock, hands-on training in low-cost rabbit housing and feeding systems, and community-based cooking demonstrations promoting rabbit meat as nutritious and acceptable functional food. Integrating rabbit farming into existing livelihood programmes and aligning it with village-level food security plans can further accelerate its adoption as a sustainable livelihood option across rural communities in the region.