Rethinking adaptation interventions in agricultural systems for sustainability

Abstract

Global policy frameworks have accelerated investments in agricultural adaptation interventions. However, prevailing approaches often conflate adoption intensity with success, overlooking the complex behavioral, structural, and temporal dynamics that shape who can sustain adoptions over time. We synthesize empirical evidence to argue that a narrow focus on adoption in adaptation intervention programs risks exacerbating inequalities in agricultural systems. Many such programs view adoption as a one-time decision, disproportionately target resource-rich farmers, and overlook the dynamic, long-term conditions essential for sustained adoption. Sustained use of adaptation strategies, however, requires distinct capacities, and when farmers discontinue these strategies, they can become entrenched in poverty traps, leading to widening wealth inequalities between sustained adopters and dropouts. Marginalized farmers are particularly vulnerable to these outcomes, which contradict the equity goals of policy frameworks. This review emphasizes the need to re-evaluate adaptation intervention programs in agricultural systems to better address the long-term needs of marginalized communities.