Major determinants of sustainable agriculture practices adoption: A systematic review

Despite growing innovations and work in the field of sustainable agriculture practices, the adoption of such practices remains low. The increasing global population demands the agricultural systems to produce more food, enough to feed almost 10 billion mouths by 2050. However, despite their recognized benefits, SAP adoption remains limited due to various socio-economic, institutional, and governance-related barriers. This makes it imperative that we understand the determinants of low adoption rate of sustainable agricultural practices and perform necessary changes in current adoption approaches based on the desired requirements. This study conducts a global systematic review to identify the key determinants influencing SAP adoption. A total of 121 studies published between 2000 and 2024, focusing on one of the three determinants: Behavioural, Governance & Institutional, were identified, investigated and reviewed. Using hierarchical cluster analysis and word co-abundance techniques, we categorize these determinants into five clusters: governance support and incentives, household-level demographics, institutional incentivization, farmer perceptions and behaviour, and technological advancements. These clusters help us tackle the determinants in depth by performing a full-text analysis to understand the above-mentioned determinants and identify effective policy and adoption strategies. The findings highlight that financial constraints, lack of institutional support, and limited farmer awareness hinder widespread adoption, while education, market access, and policy interventions serve as enablers. We propose targeted policy recommendations, including financial incentives, farmer education programs, and infrastructure improvements, to promote SAP adoption. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the multi-faceted drivers and barriers to sustainable agriculture, offering insights for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to enhance global agricultural sustainability.