Adoption of conservation agriculture practices and its impacts on yields and incomes: Evidence from smallholder maize farmers in the Northwest mountainous region of Vietnam

Farmers' livelihoods and environmental sustainability are critical concerns in Vietnamese agriculture, where conventional practices such as intensive tillage and excessive use of chemical inputs have led to soil degradation. Conservation agriculture practices (CAPs) have been promoted as a sustainable solution to improve soil health, enhance productivity, and increase farm income. However, research on the adoption and impacts of CAPs in Vietnam remains limited. This study aims to identify the determinants of CAPs adoption and assess its impacts on maize yields and net income in the Northwest mountainous region of Vietnam. The analysis is based on survey data from 400 maize-farming households. A multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) framework is employed to address selection bias. The findings indicate that the joint adoption of CAPs is facilitated by education of the household heads, total farmland area, farmers’ access to credit, interactions with extension agents, training on CAPs, proximity to cooperatives, participation in farmers' groups, and plot-specific characteristics. The impact analysis reveals that adopting CAPs—either individually or in combination—significantly improves maize yields and net income. The benefits are most pronounced when multiple practices are implemented simultaneously, underscoring the synergistic effects of CAPs. These results suggest that promoting the combined adoption of CAPs should be prioritized in the region. Policymakers and development practitioners are advised to focus on improving access to credit, strengthening extension services, expanding targeted training programs, fostering the formation of farmer groups, and raising farmers' awareness of their farmland characteristics and the benefits of CAPs.