A systematic review of the drivers, barriers, and impacts of sustainable land management practices adoption among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Inroduction Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices are increasingly promoted as a means of enhancing rural livelihoods by improving agricultural productivity, increasing farmers’ income, strengthening household food security, and promoting environmental sustainability across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite this, the adoption of SLM practices among smallholders remains stubbornly low and highly variable across SSA. Accordingly, understanding the impacts, drivers, and barriers to the adoption of these practices among smallholders is crucial to ensure increased adoption and sustainable agricultural development. Methods Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 397 records were retrieved, of which 82 peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2010 and 2025 were selected for review. Results The results reveal that SLM practices such as crop rotation, agroforestry, manure application, and cover cropping contribute positively to environmental sustainability, agricultural productivity, household income, and food security. However, the magnitude of these benefits, as well as adoption rates, varies considerably across agroecological zones, farming systems, and institutional environments, underscoring the highly context-dependent effectiveness of SLM practices. The review further demonstrates that integrated adoption of multiple SLM practices generally yields greater livelihood benefits than individual practices, due to complementary effects on soil fertility, water management, and crop productivity. Additionally, 25 factors influencing SLM adoption were identified. Among these, institutional factors, particularly access to extension services, SLM training, information, and social networks, together with farmers’ socio-demographic characteristics, and exposure to climate variability, emerged as the most consistent drivers of adoption. Conversely, structural constraints, including gender inequalities, insecure land tenure, and high input costs, were consistently associated with lower adoption. Discussion These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and highlight the urgent need for context-specific interventions, gender-responsive extension services, as well as subsidized and targeted SLM voucher programmes for resource poor farmers. Such interventions may promote the adoption and sustained use of SLM practices across SSA.