Enabling drip irrigation technology diffusion and adoption among African smallholders: a document analysis of climate action plans and donor projects

Drip irrigation can be a transformational technology for smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the diffusion and adoption of drip irrigation remain limited due to the existence of key barriers, and use of drip irrigation has largely been confined to donor- and government-supported irrigation projects. This paper therefore investigates actions to overcome key barriers, with a focus on the role of donors in these efforts. Based on documentary analysis of, respectively, policy reports and the OECD’s database of bilateral aid, we construct a framework for measures that enable the diffusion and adoption of drip irrigation and then assess how bilateral aid organizations have taken part in these measures. Focusing on bilateral aid in the period 2013–2019, we show how a large share of projects, through support for smallholder irrigation schemes, have focused on increasing farmers’ technical skills and linking them with agricultural markets, as well as enhancing extension services and providing capacity-building for public institutions. However, these projects have paid less attention to improving the supply chains for irrigation equipment and farm inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. We therefore recommend that future donor interventions into drip irrigation apply system-oriented perspectives which consider markets conditions for finance and for agricultural inputs and outputs.