IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v153y2017icp11-22.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stepwise frameworks for understanding the utilisation of conservation agriculture in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Brown, Brendan
  • Nuberg, Ian
  • Llewellyn, Rick

Abstract

Despite the large and ongoing investment in the promotion of Conservation Agriculture (CA) to African smallholder farmers, currently available estimates of adoption provide little insight into the realities of their use. Both the technologies and their adoption tend to be poorly defined, leading to large variation in estimates and validity issues. To address this void, we propose two independent but complementary frameworks: the Conservation Agriculture Appraisal Framework (CAAF) is used to quantify the intensity of implementation of CA; and the Process of Agricultural Utilisation Framework (PAUF) is used to classify various types of use and non-use by disaggregating the adoption process into ten stages. These frameworks are applied to household survey data across five eastern and southern African countries from 1,601 village and 6,559 households. Overall, we find a general overestimation of adoption of CA and CA components. By considering in more detail the intensity of implementation and the types of use and non-use, new meaning is found in the status and contributors to limited CA utilisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Brown, Brendan & Nuberg, Ian & Llewellyn, Rick, 2017. "Stepwise frameworks for understanding the utilisation of conservation agriculture in Africa," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 11-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:153:y:2017:i:c:p:11-22
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2017.01.012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X16304747
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.01.012?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. Jonas Kathage & Menale Kassie & Bekele Shiferaw & Matin Qaim, 2016. "Big Constraints or Small Returns? Explaining Nonadoption of Hybrid Maize in Tanzania," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 38(1), pages 113-131.
    2. Hailemariam Teklewold & Menale Kassie & Bekele Shiferaw, 2013. "Adoption of Multiple Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Rural Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 597-623, September.
    3. Haggblade, Steven & Tembo, Gelson, 2003. "Development, Diffusion and Impact of Conservation Farming in Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 54464, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    4. Lalani, Baqir & Dorward, Peter & Holloway, Garth & Wauters, Erwin, 2016. "Smallholder farmers' motivations for using Conservation Agriculture and the roles of yield, labour and soil fertility in decision making," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 80-90.
    5. Arslan, Aslihan & McCarthy, Nancy & Lipper, Leslie & Asfaw, Solomon & Cattaneo, Andrea, 2013. "Adoption and Intensity of Adoption of Conservation Farming Practices in Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 147461, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. Andrew D. Foster & Mark R. Rosenzweig, 2010. "Microeconomics of Technology Adoption," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 2(1), pages 395-424, September.
    7. Mazvimavi, Kizito & Twomlow, Steve, 2009. "Socioeconomic and institutional factors influencing adoption of conservation farming by vulnerable households in Zimbabwe," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 101(1-2), pages 20-29, June.
    8. Derek Byerlee & Edith Hesse de Polanco, 1986. "Farmers' Stepwise Adoption of Technological Packages: Evidence from the Mexican Altiplano," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 68(3), pages 519-527.
    9. Menale Kassie & Precious Zikhali & John Pender & Gunnar Köhlin, 2010. "The Economics of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Ethiopian Highlands," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 605-627, September.
    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. 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.
    2. Oscar Montes de Oca Munguia & Rick Llewellyn, 2020. "The Adopters versus the Technology: Which Matters More when Predicting or Explaining Adoption?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 80-91, March.
    3. Longang, Saubaber Gamo & D., Soh Wenda Boris. & Bergaly, Kamdem Cyrile, 2023. "Adoption of Cocoa Certification Scheme and Farmer’s Technical Efficiency in Cameroon: A Double Bootstrap Procedure," AfricArxiv 2r7qa, Center for Open Science.
    4. Perego, A. & Rocca, A. & Cattivelli, V. & Tabaglio, V. & Fiorini, A. & Barbieri, S. & Schillaci, C. & Chiodini, M.E. & Brenna, S. & Acutis, M., 2019. "Agro-environmental aspects of conservation agriculture compared to conventional systems: A 3-year experience on 20 farms in the Po valley (Northern Italy)," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 73-87.
    5. Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia, 2019. "Information exchange links, knowledge exposure, and adoption of agricultural technologies in northern Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 94-106.
    6. 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).
    7. Mamy Hanitriniana Razafimahatratra & Celine Bignebat & Hélène David-Benz & Jean-François Bélières & Eric Penot, 2019. "La dynamique d'adoption de l'agriculture de conservation à l'échelle des exploitations agricoles. Cas du Moyen Ouest de Madagascar," Post-Print hal-02963562, HAL.
    8. Rida Akzar & Wendy Umberger & Alexandra Peralta, 2023. "Understanding heterogeneity in technology adoption among Indonesian smallholder dairy farmers," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 347-370, March.
    9. Montes de Oca Munguia, Oscar & Pannell, David J. & Llewellyn, Rick & Stahlmann-Brown, Philip, 2021. "Adoption pathway analysis: Representing the dynamics and diversity of adoption for agricultural practices," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    10. Makate, Clifton & Makate, Marshall, 2019. "Interceding role of institutional extension services on the livelihood impacts of drought tolerant maize technology adoption in Zimbabwe," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 126-133.
    11. Monjardino, M. & Philp, J.N.M. & Kuehne, G. & Phimphachanhvongsod, V. & Sihathep, V. & Denton, M.D., 2020. "Quantifying the value of adopting a post-rice legume crop to intensify mixed smallholder farms in Southeast Asia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    12. Abdul Nafeo Abdulai & Awal Abdul-Rahaman & Gazali Issahaku, 2021. "Adoption and diffusion of conservation agriculture technology in Zambia: the role of social and institutional networks," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 23(4), pages 761-780, October.
    13. Kim S. Alexander & Garry Greenhalgh & Magnus Moglia & Manithaythip Thephavanh & Phonevilay Sinavong & Silva Larson & Tom Jovanovic & Peter Case, 2020. "What is technology adoption? Exploring the agricultural research value chain for smallholder farmers in Lao PDR," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(1), pages 17-32, March.
    14. Komarek, Adam M. & Kwon, Hoyoung & Haile, Beliyou & Thierfelder, Christian & Mutenje, Munyaradzi J. & Azzarri, Carlo, 2019. "From plot to scale: ex-ante assessment of conservation agriculture in Zambia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 504-518.

    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. Michler, Jeffrey D. & Baylis, Kathy & Arends-Kuenning, Mary & Mazvimavi, Kizito, 2019. "Conservation agriculture and climate resilience," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 148-169.
    2. Solomon Asfaw & Nancy McCarthy & Leslie Lipper & Aslihan Arslan & Andrea Cattaneo, 2016. "What determines farmers’ adaptive capacity? Empirical evidence from Malawi," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(3), pages 643-664, June.
    3. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Sofina Maharjan & Olaf Erenstein, 2018. "Factors affecting the adoption of multiple climate‐smart agricultural practices in the Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(3), pages 141-158, August.
    4. Oumer, Ali M. & Burton, Michael, 2018. "Drivers and Synergies in the Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices: A Dynamic Perspective," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273871, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Julius Manda & Arega D. Alene & Cornelis Gardebroek & Menale Kassie & Gelson Tembo, 2016. "Adoption and Impacts of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Maize Yields and Incomes: Evidence from Rural Zambia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(1), pages 130-153, February.
    6. Daniele Mozzato & Paola Gatto & Edi Defrancesco & Lucia Bortolini & Francesco Pirotti & Elena Pisani & Luigi Sartori, 2018. "The Role of Factors Affecting the Adoption of Environmentally Friendly Farming Practices: Can Geographical Context and Time Explain the Differences Emerging from Literature?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-23, August.
    7. Zewdu Ayalew Abro & Moti Jaleta & Hailemariam Teklewold, 2018. "Does Intensive Tillage Enhance Productivity and Reduce Risk Exposure? Panel Data Evidence from Smallholders’ Agriculture in Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 756-776, September.
    8. Grabowski, Philip P. & Kerr, John M. & Haggblade, Steven & Kabwe, Stephen, 2014. "Determinants of Adoption of Minimum Tillage by Cotton Farmers in Eastern Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 188567, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    9. 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.
    10. Abadi, Bijan & Yadollahi, Arash & Bybordi, Ahmad & Rahmati, Mehdi, 2020. "The discrimination of adopters and non-adopters of conservation agricultural initiatives in northwest Iran: Attitudinal, soil testing, and topographical modules," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    11. Teklewold, Hailemariam & Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele & Köhlin, Gunnar, 2013. "Cropping system diversification, conservation tillage and modern seed adoption in Ethiopia: Impacts on household income, agrochemical use and demand for labor," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 85-93.
    12. Song, Chunxiao & Liu, Ruifeng & Oxley, Oxley & Ma, Hengyun, 2018. "The adoption and impact of engineering-type measures to address climate change: evidence from the major grain-producing areas in China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 62(4), October.
    13. Fosso, Prisca Koncy & Tsafack Nanfosso, Roger, 2016. "Adoption of agricultural innovations in risky environment: the case of corn producers in the west of Cameroon," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 97(1), April.
    14. Hassen, Sied, 2018. "The effect of farmyard manure on the continued and discontinued use of inorganic fertilizer in Ethiopia: An ordered probit analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 523-532.
    15. Kaliba, Aloyce R. & Mushi, Richard J. & Gongwe, Anne G. & Mazvimavi, Kizito, 2020. "A typology of adopters and nonadopters of improved sorghum seeds in Tanzania: A deep learning neural network approach," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    16. Huan, Meili & Dong, Fengxia, 2023. "Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Crop Yield in China’s Maize Production," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335656, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Tambo, J. & Mockshell, J., 2018. "Differential impacts of conservation agriculture technology options on household welfare in sub-Saharan Africa," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277035, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Prisca Koncy Fosso & Roger Tsafack Nanfosso, 2016. "Adoption of agricultural innovations in risky environment: the case of corn producers in the west of Cameroon," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 51-62, June.
    19. Muratbek Baglan & Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Xue Zhou & Xianhui Geng, 2020. "Towards Cleaner Production: Certified Seed Adoption and Its Effect on Technical Efficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-17, February.
    20. Dsouza, Alwin & Mishra, Ashok. K., 2016. "Adoption and Abandonment of Conservation Technologies in Developing Economies: The Case of South Asia," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235243, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

    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:eee:agisys:v:153:y:2017:i:c:p:11-22. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    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.