Influence of entrepreneurial orientation constructs on the adoption of climate-smart dairy strategies among smallholder farmers in Nyandarua County

The growing effects of climate change have resulted in the development of climate-smart dairy strategies (CSDS). This study assessed the influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on the adoption of CSDS by smallholder dairy farmers in Nyandarua County, Kenya. Five EO constructs - innovativeness, risk-taking, proactiveness, autonomy, and aggressiveness were chosen for the study to determine how they shape farmers’ choices regarding using climate-smart practices. A systematic sampling was used to select 385 respondents, while a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The Generalised Ordered Logit (Gologit) model was used to determine the effect of EO on CSDS adoption. The findings showed that risk-taking, proactiveness, and autonomy positively and statistically significantly increased CSDS adoption, while innovativeness was negatively correlated with adoption, possibly because highly innovative farmers tend to selectively adopt practices, they perceive to offer greater economic benefits than the promoted CSDS strategies. However, aggressiveness did not have any effect on the adoption of CSDS. The study recommends integrating entrepreneurial training into agricultural extension programs for smallholder dairy farmers while strengthening the role of policymakers and extension agents in promoting climate-smart dairy practices.