Socio-economic and spatial drivers of biogas adoption in Domboshava, Zimbabwe

Rural households in Zimbabwe continue to experience significant energy poverty and depend heavily on traditional biomass fuels including firewood and charcoal for cooking and heating. Although biogas technology is recognized as a sustainable renewable energy alternative, its adoption in rural areas remains low despite Zimbabwe’s substantial livestock and renewable energy potential. Previous studies have largely focused on technical and economic aspects of renewable energy adoption, with limited attention to the socio-economic and institutional factors influencing household biogas adoption decisions in rural Zimbabwe. This study addresses this gap by examining the determinants of biogas technology adoption among livestock farming households in Domboshava, Zimbabwe, using a multinomial logistic regression model. Primary data were collected from 370 randomly selected livestock farmers and categorized into non-adopters, current adopters and potential adopters. The results show that off-farm income, land size, access to credit, gender, livestock ownership and extension services significantly increase the likelihood of adoption. The study highlights the importance of financial capacity and institutional support in promoting renewable energy uptake and recommends targeted credit facilities, strengthened extension services and gender-responsive interventions to enhance biogas adoption in rural Zimbabwe.