Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso

Transitioning to clean and affordable energy is a persistent development challenge for rural populations in low‐ and middle‐income countries, where dependence on traditional biomass‐based fuels continues to dominate. Although off‐farm employment has gained increasing attention as a driver of rural livelihood transformation, its specific relationship with household energy transition remains underexplored in the academic literature. This limitation is evident in the tendency of existing studies to examine off‐farm income effects in general terms, often overlooking the distinct mechanisms through which off‐farm employment may influence household energy transition decisions. Moreover, there is notable conceptual inconsistency in how household energy types are categorized within the energy transition literature, with limited efforts to develop a consolidated typology. To address this knowledge gap, this study conducts a PRISMA‐guided systematic review of 34 peer‐reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024, drawing data from 3 leading academic databases. The findings consolidate fragmented energy type classifications into a clearer typology and reveal a generally positive association between off‐farm employment and household adoption of modern energy sources—such as electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and solar energy—alongside a reduction in reliance on traditional biomass fuels. This relationship appears to operate primarily through two pathways: (i) increased household income, which improves affordability of modern energy technologies, and (ii) reduced time and labor burdens associated with biomass fuel collection. Nevertheless, the review identifies a critical gap in the literature: the effects of different forms and qualities of off‐farm employment on household energy decisions remain underemphasized. Overall, these insights reduce conceptual ambiguity and differentiate this review from earlier literature by linking rural labor diversification directly to household energy transition outcomes, thereby advancing a more precise understanding of rural energy transition dynamics.

Women in agriculture face significant barriers to land and resources, limiting their contributions to productivity and poverty alleviation. Despite extensive literature on women’s roles in agriculture, the effect and mechanisms of women’s participation (WP) in smallholder financial inclusion programs like Rural Savings and Credit Cooperatives (RUSACCOs) on economic efficiency (EE) in maize production remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap using data from 436 farm households in Zambia. Employing sample-selection stochastic cost frontier analysis, we find that WP in RUSACCOs significantly enhances EE. Notably, households without WP could improve cost efficiency by 21%, potentially reducing extreme poverty by 8%. Moreover, the findings identify agricultural informatization (AgI) as a compelling mediating mechanism: by empowering women and optimizing labor-land allocation, AgI amplifies the efficiency gains associated with WP. Overall, the study underscores the transformative potential of informal financial inclusion initiatives, such as RUSACCOs, that are gender-inclusive in advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs) 1 (poverty), 2 (hunger), and 5 (gender equality). Accordingly, policy implications emphasize the need for integrating smallholder financial inclusion programs with agricultural informatization support to strengthen the agricultural value chain and support broader socio-economic development goals among women farmers in rural settings.

Rural women constitute a substantial portion of the global agricultural workforce yet remain marginalized in access to credit, agricultural inputs, and information. This persistent exclusion not only constrains their productivity but also undermines efforts to build resilient and sustainable food systems. As climate variability increasingly threatens smallholder farming, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has gained prominence as a viable approach to enhance agricultural sustainability, productivity, and adaptation. However, adoption of CSA among smallholder women farmers remains patchy and elusive. In response, development actors have promoted village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) to enhance women’s access to financial services. Yet, whether—and through which mechanisms—women participation (WP) in VSLAs influences CSA adoption remains insufficiently understood. To address this knowledge gap, the study investigates the pathways through which WP in VSLAs influences CSA adoption, considering the mediating role of agricultural informatization (AgI). A cross-sectional, mixed-methods design was employed, using a multistage random sampling technique to survey 436 smallholder women farmers in rural Zambia. Quantitative data were collected through a pre-tested structured questionnaire, supplemented by qualitative data from key informant interviews. Mediation analysis, using the Sobel test and bias-corrected bootstrapping, was applied to estimate pathways, while propensity score matching (PSM) was used to check the robustness of results. Findings reveal that WP in VSLAs significantly boosts CSA adoption, with a total effect size of 47%. Notably, 66% of this effect is mediated through AgI, underscoring the critical role of digital tools in supporting agricultural processes and translating financial inclusion into sustainable farming outcomes. By advancing policy discourse on the intersection of financial inclusion, gender equality, and sustainable agriculture, this research provides valuable insights for informing inclusive agricultural policies and development programs aimed at shaping future interventions in global agricultural development.

Despite the recognised benefits of climate smart agriculture (CSA) in enhancing farmers' adaptive capacity to climate risks, adoption rates remain low in Sub-Saharan Africa. This disparity can be attributed, in part, to the significant challenges smallholder farmers face in accessing credit from the formal financial sector. In response, Rural Saving and Credit Cooperatives (RUSACCOs) have emerged as crucial sources of funding for both household expenses and agricultural activities. However, despite their increasing importance in improving financial inclusion, little is known about whether participation in RUSACCOs can help alleviate existing credit constraints and promote the adoption of CSA among smallholder farmers. To address this knowledge gap, we employ a recursive bivariate probit (RBP) and propensity score matching (PSM) analysis using data from 400 randomly selected smallholder farmers in Zambia. The analysis controls for three main sources of endogeneity: program placement, endogenous covariates, and self-selection. Our findings indicate that participation in RUSACCOs has the potential to mitigate farmers' credit constraints by 42% and facilitate CSA adoption by 25%. Notably, the alleviation of existing credit constraints is associated with a 14% increase in CSA adoption. These results underscore the previously overlooked role of RUSACCOs in promoting agricultural sustainability. By effectively addressing financial inclusion barriers and providing access to practical agricultural knowledge, RUSACCOs can contribute to reducing the vulnerability of agriculture while fostering sustainable production. Our study suggests that repurposing RUSACCOs to emphasise financial inclusion and promote access to agricultural learning platforms can yield triple benefits: agricultural, environmental, and livelihood sustainability.

Unique challenges have been elicited by climate change, demanding the utilisation of effective adaptation strategies that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Regrettably, the agricultural sector has not been spared from the ...

The aim of this study was to highlight the importance of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors in the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) in banana farm production. To this end, data from 300 randomly selected farm households from Pakistan were collected through a structured self-report questionnaire. Using logistic regression (LR) and structural equation modeling (SEM), socioeconomic and psychosocial effects were evaluated. The results show that economic status, watching agricultural training programs, newspaper and radio awareness campaigns, participation in extension programs, perceptions of sustainable agriculture and the feasibility of SAPs were significant factors in farmers’ adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. Also, consistent with the theory of planned behavior (TPB), all its dimensions (attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control) affected the adoption of SAPs. This finding highlights the importance of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors in promoting sustainable agricultural practice among banana production farmers. This is the first study which attempts to provide empirical evidence using a robust procedure (two models—LR and SEM). The practical implication is that, when socioeconomic and psychosocial factors are well supported by satisfactory policy measures, SAP adoption is more than likely, which eventually increases farmers’ adaptive capacity to the changing environment. Ultimately, this leads to sustainable banana production, which has great potential to contribute towards poverty eradication.