IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v22y2020i4d10.1007_s10668-019-00340-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From interest to implementation: exploring farmer progression of conservation agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Brendan Brown

    (The University of Adelaide
    CSIRO Agriculture and Food
    NARC Research Station)

  • Ian Nuberg

    (The University of Adelaide)

  • Rick Llewellyn

    (CSIRO Agriculture and Food)

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa needs to produce more food, feed and fibre to support its growing population, and the sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture is a crucial component of any strategy towards achieving this goal. Conservation agriculture (CA) has been widely promoted as a means to this, yet African smallholder farmers who have expressed interest in CA have generally not progressed to implementation on their farms. Examinations of this trend remain underanalysed, particularly from non-econometric explorations of farmers’ lived experiences and perspectives. This presents an opportunity to understand what drives farmers’ expression of interest in CA and if such expression of interest could be targeted for other farmers (particularly if CA is to continue to be promoted to African smallholder farmers). We implement in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 58 farmers who have expressed interest in and are currently evaluating CA for their situation to explore their perspectives on what drives their interest in, and limits their progression to higher intensities of, CA. Respondents indicated mixed perceptions of the benefits, feasibility and relevance of CA to their livelihoods, adding to the ongoing discourse regarding the applicability of CA to African smallholder agriculture. If CA is to continue to be promoted, the respondents indicated a need to address issues related to financial viability, stover competition, small-scale mechanisation and informational exchange mechanisms. If farmer interest in CA is to be based on the technology itself and not perverse incentives, and that interest is to be progressed to implementation, respondents indicate that CA will need to be further adapted to fit within their contextual realities. To achieve this, more flexible and transitional promotion of CA by its components facilitated through greater community participation in research and extension systems will be required.

Suggested Citation

  • Brendan Brown & Ian Nuberg & Rick Llewellyn, 2020. "From interest to implementation: exploring farmer progression of conservation agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3159-3177, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:22:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-019-00340-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-019-00340-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-019-00340-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-019-00340-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kiptot, Evelyne & Hebinck, Paul & Franzel, Steven & Richards, Paul, 2007. "Adopters, testers or pseudo-adopters? Dynamics of the use of improved tree fallows by farmers in western Kenya," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 509-519, May.
    2. Tavneet Suri, 2011. "Selection and Comparative Advantage in Technology Adoption," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 79(1), pages 159-209, January.
    3. Simtowe, Franklin & Kassie, Menale & Diagne, Aliou & Asfaw, Solomon & Shiferaw, Bekele & Silim, Said & Muange, Elijah, 2011. "Determinants of Agricultural Technology Adoption: The Case of Improved Pigeonpea Varieties in Tanzania," Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, Humboldt-Universitaat zu Berlin, vol. 50(4), pages 1-21.
    4. Feder, Gershon & Just, Richard E & Zilberman, David, 1985. "Adoption of Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries: A Survey," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(2), pages 255-298, January.
    5. Bekele, Wagayehu & Drake, Lars, 2003. "Soil and water conservation decision behavior of subsistence farmers in the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia: a case study of the Hunde-Lafto area," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 437-451, October.
    6. Ngoma, Hambulo & Mason, Nicole M. & Sitko, Nicholas, 2015. "Does Minimum Tillage with Planting Basins or Ripping Raise Maize Yields? Meso-panel Data Evidence from Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 198701, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Cameron M. Pittelkow & Xinqiang Liang & Bruce A. Linquist & Kees Jan van Groenigen & Juhwan Lee & Mark E. Lundy & Natasja van Gestel & Johan Six & Rodney T. Venterea & Chris van Kessel, 2015. "Productivity limits and potentials of the principles of conservation agriculture," Nature, Nature, vol. 517(7534), pages 365-368, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jing Li & Ruiyin He, 2021. "Relationships among socioeconomic factors, rice planting method and pesticide use," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7358-7372, May.
    2. Brown, Brendan & Paudel, Gokul P. & Krupnik, Timothy J., 2021. "Visualising adoption processes through a stepwise framework: A case study of mechanisation on the Nepal Terai," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rick S. Llewellyn & Brendan Brown, 2020. "Predicting Adoption of Innovations by Farmers: What is Different in Smallholder Agriculture?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 100-112, March.
    2. Srijna Jha & Harald Kaechele & Marcos Lana & T.S Amjath-Babu & Stefan Sieber, 2020. "Exploring Farmers’ Perceptions of Agricultural Technologies: A Case Study from Tanzania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Brown, Brendan & Nuberg, Ian & Llewellyn, Rick, 2018. "Constraints to the utilisation of conservation agriculture in Africa as perceived by agricultural extension service providers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 331-340.
    4. Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew & Gerber, Nicolas & Matz, Julia Anna, 2018. "Gendered Social Networks, Agricultural Innovations, and Farm Productivity in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 321-335.
    5. repec:lic:licosd:37616 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Terrance Hurley & Jawoo Koo & Kindie Tesfaye, 2018. "Weather risk: how does it change the yield benefits of nitrogen fertilizer and improved maize varieties in sub‐Saharan Africa?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(6), pages 711-723, November.
    7. Gbêtondji Melaine Armel Nonvide, 2021. "Adoption of agricultural technologies among rice farmers in Benin," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2372-2390, November.
    8. Johan Swinnen, 2016. "Value Chain Innovations for Technology Transfer in Developing and Emerging Economies: Concept, Typology and Policy Implications," Working Papers id:10694, eSocialSciences.
    9. Khushbu Mishra & Abdoul G. Sam & Gracious M. Diiro & Mario J. Miranda, 2020. "Gender and the dynamics of technology adoption: Empirical evidence from a household‐level panel data," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(6), pages 857-870, November.
    10. Zhang, Biao & Fu, Zetian & Wang, Jieqiong & Zhang, Lingxian, 2019. "Farmers’ adoption of water-saving irrigation technology alleviates water scarcity in metropolis suburbs: A case study of Beijing, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 349-357.
    11. Giovanopoulou, Eirini & Nastis, Stefanos A. & Papanagiotou, Evagelos, 2011. "Modeling farmer participation in agri-environmental nitrate pollution reducing schemes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 2175-2180, September.
    12. Mgendi, By George & Mao, Shiping & Qiao, Fangbin, 2022. "Does agricultural training and demonstration matter in technology adoption? The empirical evidence from small rice farmers in Tanzania," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    13. Fuglie, Keith O. & Echeverria, Ruben G., 2024. "The economic impact of CGIAR-related crop technologies on agricultural productivity in developing countries, 1961–2020," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    14. Tristan Le Cotty & Elodie Maître d’Hôtel & Raphael Soubeyran & Julie Subervie, 2018. "Linking Risk Aversion, Time Preference and Fertiliser Use in Burkina Faso," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(11), pages 1991-2006, November.
    15. Ashour, Maha & Billings, Lucy & Gilligan, Daniel & Hoel, Jessica B. & Karachiwalla, Naureen, 2016. "Do beliefs about agricultural inputs counterfeiting correspond with actual rates of counterfeiting? Evidence from Uganda:," IFPRI discussion papers 1552, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    17. Hong, Yu & Heerink, Nico & van der Werf, Wopke, 2020. "Farm size and smallholders’ use of intercropping in Northwest China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    18. Kondylis, Florence & Mueller, Valerie, 2012. "Seeing is Believing? Evidence from a Demonstration Plot Experiment in Mozambique:," MSSP working papers 1, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    19. Fan, Yubing & McCann, Laura M., 2017. "Farmers’ Adoption of Pressure Irrigation Systems and Scientific Scheduling Practices: An Application of Multilevel Models," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258458, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    20. Alemu, Solomon & Kosmowski, Frederic & Stevenson, James R. & Mallia, Paola & Taye, Lemi & Macours, Karen, 2024. "Studying inclusive innovation with the right data: An empirical illustration from Ethiopia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    21. Michelson, Hope & Fairbairn, Anna & Ellison, Brenna & Maertens, Annemie & Manyong, Victor, 2021. "Misperceived quality: Fertilizer in Tanzania," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:22:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-019-00340-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.