Factors influencing women to adopt new technologies for seaweed farming in Zanzibar

Seaweed farming is central to Zanzibar’s blue economy. It provides livelihoods, foreign exchange, and opportunities for women’s empowerment. Although the adoption of improved technologies for seaweed farming, like floating and deep-water systems, has been promoted, most women farmers still rely on the traditional off-bottom method. Conventional methods are vulnerable to climate stress, disease, and declining productivity. This study examines the socio-demographic, socio-economic, and institutional factors influencing women’s adoption of improved technologies for seaweed farming in Paje, in Unguja. Data from 94 women farmers were analysed using Firth’s penalised logistic regression to address small-sample bias. Results indicate that education, farming experience, and household income are statistically significant predictors of adoption (p < 0.05). Conversely, age, marital status, and access to finance are not. Good aquaculture practices training and business planning skills were the strongest institutional drivers of adoption (p < 0.05), highlighting technical competence and entrepreneurial orientation. These findings inform Zanzibar’s Blue Economy Policy (2022), and Fisheries Master Plan (2023–2038), which prioritise seaweed aquaculture for inclusive growth. Scaling adoption requires investments in women’s education, targeted technical training, and institutional capacity building through technical and business training. The study contributes by: (i) integrating Diffusion of Innovations, Human Capital, and Institutional theories into a gendered aquaculture framework; (ii) applying Firth regression to reduce small-sample bias; and (iii) providing evidence on multi-dimensional drivers of women’s adoption of improved technologies for seaweed farming in Zanzibar. The results offer insights to align policy ambition with farmers’ realities, and promote sustainable seaweed farming and livelihoods.