An analysis of the adoption of the “system of rice intensification” (SRI): why a homegrown technique has yet to take seed among rice farmers in Madagascar

To combat food insecurity in Madagascar, organizations have promoted the <i>Système de Riziculture Intensifiée</i> (SRI), or System of Rice Intensification, an agroecological rice-growing technique. However, despite its many benefits, adoption remains low (and disadoption remains high) in Madagascar. To better understand these dynamics, we use data from two surveys of 328 rice farming households in southeastern Madagascar to conduct an analysis of decisions to adopt SRI, as well as look at the differences between adopters and non-adopters. Results show that despite strong intentions to adopt the technique, actual rates of adoption were lower than expected. Indeed, while 89.8% (<i>n</i> = 291) of respondents stated intention to adopt SRI, only 21.6% (<i>n</i> = 60) had trialed it one year later. Results also indicate that exposure to SRI trainings did not have spill-over effects to “untreated” farmers, as nearly all (95%, <i>n</i> = 57) of the farmers adopting SRI had registered for the training, with the majority (89.5%, <i>n</i> = 51) attending some days of training. Reasons given for not adopting SRI included lack of rice seeds deemed suitable by farmers, as well as insufficient labor, time and other resources. Furthermore, using an integrated Theory of Planned Behavior - Technology Acceptance Model framework and structural equation modeling (SEM), we find that perceived behavioral control, training participation and household assets are significant predictors of adoption. This research is important in efforts to better support uptake of improved agricultural practices among food insecure farming populations. It also fills a gap in the literature regarding SRI adoption among lowland coastal farming populations.