Profitability, enterprise choice, and constraints to sustainable intensification of integrated farming systems and rural livelihoods in northeastern Bangladesh

Integrated farming systems (IFS) are increasingly recognized as an effective strategy for enhancing farm productivity, resource-use efficiency, and livelihood resilience among smallholder farmers. This study evaluated the profitability, enterprise configuration choices, livelihood outcomes, and adoption constraints of IFS in the haor ecosystem of northeastern Bangladesh. Cross-sectional data were collected from 70 IFS-adopting households in Sylhet District during 2023 using a multistage sampling approach. Enterprise budgeting, a multinomial logit (MNL) model, the Department for International Development (DFID) Sustainable Livelihood Framework, and a Problem Confrontation Index were employed for the analysis. All four IFS configurations were economically viable (benefit-cost ratio > 1.0). The Crop + Vegetable + Livestock + Agroforestry (C + V+L + A) configuration generated the highest benefit-cost ratio (2.43) and net return (USD 9,951.38), indicating greater economic efficiency among the configurations evaluated. The MNL model (Nagelkerke R² = 0.620; LR χ² = 52.69, p < 0.001) showed that literacy level and farming experience were significant correlates of farmers’ enterprise configuration choices, whereas training participation was not statistically associated with configuration selection. Respondents also reported positive percentage changes across all five livelihood capital dimensions, with the greatest improvement observed in human capital (71.42% of households). Major constraints to IFS adoption and management included high labor costs (90.0%), natural disasters (82.9%), limited access to quality seed and planting materials (75.7%), and inadequate extension support (52.9%). These findings suggest that strengthening integrated extension services, improving farmers’ human capital, enhancing access to quality inputs and financial services, and promoting climate-resilient agricultural support mechanisms could facilitate the wider adoption and sustainability of diversified farming systems in the Haor region. The study provides empirical evidence for context-specific policies to support sustainable agricultural intensification and improved rural livelihoods in climate-vulnerable wetland ecosystems.