Achieving a Climate-Change Resilient Farming System through Push–Pull Technology: Evidence from Maize Farming Systems in Ethiopia

Abstract

Building climate-resilient farming systems is important to promote the sustainability of agriculture at the global level. Scaling-up agroecological approaches in main staple crops, such as maize, is particularly important in enhancing the climate resilience of millions of smallholder farmers in developing countries. In this regard, push–pull technology (PPT) is an ecological approach to a farming system that aims to improve the climate resilience of maize producers in a smallholder mixed farming system. PPT is primarily designed to control pests and weeds in an ecofriendly approach, to improve soil fertility, to improve livestock feed, and to increase farmers’ incomes. In this study, we compared the level of climate resilience between PPT maize farming systems and non-PPT maize farming systems in southern Ethiopia. Using the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Self-Evaluation and Holistic Assessment of Climate Resilience of Farmers and Pastoralists (SHARP), we measured 13 agroecosystem indicators of climate resilience and compared the degree to which the two farming systems differ in their level of resilience to climate change. The results indicate that PPT farming systems are more climate-resilient than their non-PPT counterparts. PPT maize farming systems had a significant impact on 8 out of the 13 agroecosystem indicators of climate resilience. To harness the full benefits of PPT, governmental extension agents, NGOs, and agricultural researchers should promote PPT-based maize farming systems. The promotion of PPT needs concerted efforts and strong national coordination in solving PPT implementation barriers, such as improving access to input and output markets and animal health services.