Market Access and Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Market access is an important determinant influencing farmers’ adoption decisions by affecting prospective profitability, access to modern inputs, availability of information and extension services, and exposure to production and price risks. This systematic review is a synthesis of the evidence on the relationship between market access and CSA adoption in various agroecological settings. According to the PRISMA guidelines, five databases were used in the search: USDA Agricola, Semantic Scholar, DOAJ, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar from which a total of 55 peer-reviewed studies were retrieved from 2015 to 2024. The results suggest that improved market access, as represented by lower transaction costs, better market information, proximity to markets, and better integration into the value chain in general, is conducive to the adoption of CSA. On the contrary, limited access to credit facilities, infrastructure and institutional support, poor market linkages and geographical isolation still hinder adoption, especially among resource-limited smallholders. The existing evidence is disjointed, and there was little research that focused on the individual influence of the various dimensions of market access on CSA adoption. Focused investigations by addressing this gap, particularly in the coastal areas of developing countries, would provide clear insights for policy formulation to enhance CSA adoption through improved market access.

J Bangladesh Agril Univ 24(3): 334–345, 2026