Coffee Production Trends and Adoption of Climate-Smart Agroforestry Practices Among Smallholder Farmers in Sidama Ethiopia

This study investigates the effects of climate variability on coffee production and the adoption of climate-smart farming (CSF) practices among smallholder farmers in Sidama, Ethiopia. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 360 randomly selected coffee farmers across four districts, complemented by long-term climate data and secondary sources. Descriptive statistics, trend analysis, and a two-limit Tobit model were employed to examine production trends, climate variability, and CSF adoption drivers. Coffee yields declined from 11 quintals/ha (2014) to 8.6 quintals/ha (2024), and total production fell from 456,828 quintals (2015) to 204,829 quintals (2020), despite the expansion of cultivated land. Climate data show moderately stable rainfall (1,185–1,294 mm) and temperatures (24.2–26.5°C), but still suboptimal for Arabica coffee. Farmers report unseasonal rains, erratic patterns, and temperature shifts as key threats. Under adverse weather, average household coffee yield dropped by 4.9%. Adoption of CSF practices is moderately high (index = 0.71), especially for weed control (89.8%), intercropping (89.1%), and shade management (83.8%), but lower for site-specific planting (26.1%) and soil moisture management (38.8%). The Tobit model (pseudo R² = 0.923) shows adoption is positively influenced by male headship, education, extension access, and cooperative membership, while livestock ownership has a slight negative effect. These findings call for improved advisory services, farmer education, and targeted interventions to enhance resilience and secure coffee-based livelihoods under changing climate conditions.