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Bamboo is still a traditional material that requires additional development before it can be considered as a modern and reliable alternative to steel, wood, and concrete. When compared to the huge volumes of information available on timber and concrete, bamboo has a little quantity of information. When it comes to estimating bamboo structures, there are not many options. As a result, pinpointing the key qualities and events that aid or impede bamboo's integration into the construction sector is vital.

Factor analysis (FA) was used for summarizing and reducing data to significant ones in identifying barriers, benefits and potentials of using bamboo materials for construction. In this method, small number of factors was aimed at to explain most of the variances observed in a much larger number of variables. The goal was to identify not-directly-observable barriers and opportunities based on a larger set of observable or measurable indicators identified from literature. It attempted to identify underlying challenges and potentials that lay the patterns of bamboo material usage in the construction sector.

From the results of FA, six specific components with loadings greater than 0.5 were kept for both the barrier and the advantages of using bamboo Lack of awareness on bamboo material, Unorganized supply chain, Exclusion from standards, Outperformance of industrial products, Lack of innovation and institutional support and Bamboo's mechanistic limitation was considered to be the root causes of all barriers. On the other end, structural suitability of bamboo, viable timber alternative, meeting sustainability's demand, attractive economic model, cost effective material, positive social implications were labeled as benefits of bamboo. Finally, major recommendation regarding research, facility, institutionalizing and resource management were forwarded.

Ethiopia is a major bamboo producer in Africa. The bamboo sector, on the other hand, remains a part of the undeveloped and informal rural economy, preventing it from reaching its full potential. Despite technological advancements, bamboo is not commonly used in construction. As a result, using bamboo as a building material is frowned upon. In order to take effective action to accommodate bamboo as an alternative building material, significant challenges, benefits, and potential of the material must be stated with this purpose in mind.

This study aims to examine smallholder farmers’ perceptions toward the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in smallholder farmers in the Upper Blue Nile Highlands of Ethiopia. Available research focused on profitability and economic constraints alone, disregarding the farmers’ perception of the adoption of CSA innovations. There is relatively little empirical work on farmers’ perceptions of innovations. Hence, a critical research gap that will strengthen CSA innovation research and practice includes understanding farmers’ perceptions about CSA innovations and how these perceptions interact with their adoption.

A cross-sectional household survey was conducted among 424 smallholder farmers selected from five agro-ecosystems. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data and a review of literature and documents was used to collect secondary data. The study used a multivariate probit model to examine perception factors affecting the likelihood of adopting multiple CSA innovations. The dependent variables were eight CSA innovations, while the independent variables were crafted from the three pillars of CSA.

Major CSA innovations adopted by farmers include improved variety, crop residue management, crop rotation, compost, row planting, soil and water conservation, intercropping and agroforestry. Farmers’ perception toward CSA innovations includes: CSA innovations sustainably increase productivity and income; enhance soil fertility; diversify livestock feed and energy sources; reduce soil erosion, weed infestation and crop failure; enhance soil organic matter, reduce chemical fertilizer use and rehabilitate land. Farmers’ positive perceptions of the benefits of CSA innovations for increasing crop productivity, reducing agricultural vulnerability to climate change and lowering farm greenhouse gas emissions have boosted adoption.

Farmers’ perceptions toward CSA innovations must be enhanced to increase the adoption of CSA innovations in the smallholder agriculture system. The CSA innovation scale-up strategies should focus on farmers’ perception of CSA innovation benefits toward food security, climate change adaption and mitigation outcomes. Awareness of CSA needs the close collaboration of public extension as well as local institutions such as farmers’ training centers.

The study adopts a multivariate probit model that models farmers’ simultaneous CSA innovation choices. Hence, this study contributes to the literature in four significant areas. First, it argues for differential treatment of the perception of smallholder farmers about innovations is needed. Second, it recognizes the interdependence of the adoption of innovations. Third, it directly assesses the farmers’ perception, while others use proxies to measure it. Finally, there are limited or no studies that address the perception of innovations within the lens of adopter perception theory.