Appraisal of Transforming Structures and Processes that Influence the Adoption of Climate‑Smart Livelihood Strategies in Mutare District, Zimbabwe

This study presents the role of policy frameworks and institutional underpinnings that interact with prevailing climate factors, human-induced constraints, and asset portfolios to influence the adoption of innovative farming practices. A mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, and quantitative surveys, was employed to explore the impacts of policy frameworks and institutional arrangements on climate-smart practices among smallholder farmers. Purposive sampling was used to select the questionnaire survey respondents. Additional data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with key informants, including officials from the central government, local government, extension services, traditional leaders, and nongovernmental organizations. Descriptive statistics were applied to identify basic patterns drawn from the quantitative surveys. At the same time, content analysis was used on qualitative data to identify themes, patterns, and other relevant features and interpret their meanings and implications. The results revealed that agricultural extension services significantly influence smallholder farmers' ability to cope with the consequences of extreme weather events. Farmer field schools and unions were heralded for their pivotal role in promoting climate-smart practices among smallholder farmers. Conflicts of interest between urban authorities’ environmental sustainability and households’ basic survival strategies involving urban agricultural practices were highlighted. Female-headed families were predominant in rural areas, so the study recommends prioritizing resources for developing innovations that improve the adoption of smart livelihood strategies by female smallholder farmers. Besides, the study recommends capacity-building interventions, such as orienting smallholder farmers to climate-smart livelihood options, including planting basin methods that are cost-effective and sustainable.