Determinants of agricultural innovation adoption in eastern Madagascar

This study examines the adoption of agricultural innovations on the east coast of Madagascar in a context marked by high exposure to climate shocks and agroecological constraints. The study addresses the gap between a widely recognized need for adaptation and still limited levels of adoption. Its overall objective is to identify the determinants of adoption levels and the factors that structure influence and dominance within the adoption system. Two questions guide the analysis: which socioeconomic factors determine levels of adoption of agricultural innovations, and which factors structure the relative influence and dominance of agricultural innovation adoption? The study adopts a methodological individualism approach by focusing the analysis on innovation adoption at the farm household level. The survey covers 395 households. An innovation index ranks adoption into four levels based on nine practices. Ordinal regression was used to identify predictors, followed by discriminant analysis and benchmarking to synthesize observed contrasts. A significant correlation matrix was then used to position variables within a strategic rectangle. The results show a concentration in the lower adoption levels: 68% of households fall into the “non-adopter” and “low” categories. Higher adoption levels are associated with access to water, agricultural and livestock income, savings, and durable housing. The strategic rectangle identifies two variables that are both influential and dominant: non-use of chemical pesticides and financing through agricultural income. These findings point to the need for longitudinal monitoring, for distinguishing input-based intensification from agroecological innovations, and for testing differentiated support according to household profiles.