This paper investigates how socio-psychological issues affect farmers’ decisions to adopt sustainable farming practices using a cross-sectional data from 350 farmers. The data are analysed by multivariate probit and ordered probit models. We find that the probability to adopt sustainable farming practices is affected by education, risk attitudes, information, intentions, social capital and attitudes. The intensity to adopt two and more farming practices jointly is influenced by labour supply, education, livestock ownership, information, risk attitudes, social capital, attitudes, intentions and perceived resource, implying education, social capital, attitudes, risk attitudes and information affect both the probability and the intensity of adoption decisions. Thus, the focus should be given to social and psychological factors to stimulate farmers in dryland and water stressed areas to adopt various sustainable agricultural practices.