Adoption of Conservation Agriculture and Its Implications for Household Food Security Among Small-Scale Farmers in Mpumalanga, South Africa

Conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted as a climate-smart approach to improve productivity and resilience, especially among small-scale farmers who face socioeconomic and climate-related risks that threaten their livelihoods. However, evidence linking CA adoption to household food-security outcomes in South Africa remains limited. This study examines patterns and determinants of CA adoption and assesses its implications for household food security among small-scale farmers in three municipalities of Mpumalanga Province. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 391 farmers selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and binary logistic regression. Results show that CA adoption was widespread but largely partial, with most farmers adopting one or two principles rather than the full CA package. Access to CA-related resources and information, household size, livelihood strategy, farm income, and farm size significantly influenced adoption. Higher adoption intensity was consistently associated with improved food-security outcomes, including increased production, lower food-insecurity severity, greater crop diversification, higher likelihood of year-round production, and increased market participation. The study concludes that conservation agriculture can contribute positively to multiple dimensions of household food security when adopted as an integrated system, but partial adoption yields limited benefits. Targeted extension support, improved access to resources, and context-specific interventions are required to enhance sustained and holistic CA adoption among small-scale farmers.