IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/deveza/v23y2006i4p461-476.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Socio-economic reasons for the low adoption of water conservation technologies by smallholder farmers in southern Africa: a review of the literature

Author

Listed:
  • Sylvain Perret
  • Joe Stevens

Abstract

Natural resource degradation and water scarcity, which threaten the sustainability of smallholder farmers' livelihoods in semi-arid developing areas, are a global concern. Although researchers have developed water-conservation technologies (WCTs), adoption rates by smallholder farmers have been low. This article compares the perspectives of researchers and smallholder farmers, highlights the discrepancies which explain the farmers' low uptake of technologies and addresses the socio-economic factors affecting adoption. It argues that WCTs are diverse and applicable to different time and spatial scales and hence dependent upon context. These traits influence the dissemination and adoption of WCTs, and should not be ignored, from the early stage of technology development. It explains that adoption depends not only on individual farmers' willingness but also on property rights to resources and collective community action. The article discusses the demand for WCTs, the role of the public sector and research and related biases, and makes recommendations for achieving more sustainable rural livelihoods. Recent experiences in South Africa show that encouraging farmers to participate in technology development, taking account of local indigenous knowledge and making sound institutional arrangements are some ways to foster better integration of technology and innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvain Perret & Joe Stevens, 2006. "Socio-economic reasons for the low adoption of water conservation technologies by smallholder farmers in southern Africa: a review of the literature," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(4), pages 461-476.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:deveza:v:23:y:2006:i:4:p:461-476
    DOI: 10.1080/03768350600927193
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03768350600927193
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/03768350600927193?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. Perret, Sylvain R. & Anseeuw, Ward & Mathebula, F., 2005. "Poverty and livelihoods in rural South Africa: Investigating diversity and dynamics of livelihoods. Case studies in Limpopo," Working Papers 60885, University of Pretoria, Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development.
    2. Lahiff, E. P., 1999. "Land tenure on the Arabie-Olifants Irrigation Scheme," IWMI Working Papers H025318, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Jagger, Pamela & Pender, John L., 2003. "Impacts of programs and organizations on the adoption of sustainable land management technologies in Uganda," EPTD discussion papers 101, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. M. Mazoyer & Laurence Roudart, 2002. "Histoire des agricultures du monde: Du Néolithique à la crise contemporaine," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/44785, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Rasmussen, Lise Nordvig & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela, 1995. "Local organizations for natural resource management: lessons from theoretical and empirical literature," EPTD discussion papers 11, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Pender, John L. & Kerr, John M., 1996. "Determinants of farmers' indigenous soil and water conservation investments in India's semi-arid tropics:," EPTD discussion papers 17, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    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. Sabrina Auci & Andrea Pronti, 2020. "Innovation in Irrigation Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture: An Endogenous Switching Analysis on Italian Farms’ Land Productivity," SEEDS Working Papers 1220, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Dec 2020.
    2. Nhamo, Nhamo & Rodenburg, Jonne & Zenna, Negussie & Makombe, Godswill & Luzi-Kihupi, Ashura, 2014. "Narrowing the rice yield gap in East and Southern Africa: Using and adapting existing technologies," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 45-55.
    3. Awudu Abdulai & Wallace Huffman, 2014. "The Adoption and Impact of Soil and Water Conservation Technology: An Endogenous Switching Regression Application," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 90(1), pages 26-43.
    4. Rosario Perez-Espejo & Alonso Aguilar Ibarra & Jose Luis Escobedo-Sagaz, 2011. "Agriculture and Water Pollution: Farmers' Perceptions in Central Mexico," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1), pages 263-273, March.

    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. Nkonya, Ephraim M. & Pender, John & Kato, Edward & Mugarura, Samuel & Muwonge, James, 2005. "Who knows, who cares?: determinants of enactment, awareness and compliance with community natural resource management," CAPRi working papers 41, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Haque, A.B.M. Mahfuzul & Visser, Leontine E. & Dey, Madan M., 2011. "Institutional Arrangements in Seasonal Floodplain Management under Community-based Aquaculture in Bangladesh," Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Knox, Anna & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela, 2000. "Collective action, property rights, and devolution of natural resource management: exchange of knowledge and implications for policy," CAPRi working papers 11, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Mugido, Worship & Shackleton, Charlie M., 2018. "Price Determination of Non-timber Forest Products in Different Areas of South Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 597-606.
    5. Shunji Oniki & Melaku Berhe & Teklay Negash, 2020. "Role of Social Norms in Natural Resource Management: The Case of the Communal Land Distribution Program in Northern Ethiopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, January.
    6. NP Geyer & HS Geyer, 2017. "Counterurbanisation: South Africa in wider context," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(7), pages 1575-1593, July.
    7. S. Freguin-Gresh & M. d'Haese & W. Anseeuw, 2012. "Demythifying contract farming: Evidence from rural South Africa," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(3), pages 24-51, September.
    8. Jagger, Pamela & Pender, John L., 2003. "Impacts of programs and organizations on the adoption of sustainable land management technologies in Uganda," EPTD discussion papers 101, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Savath, Vivien & Fletschner, Diana & Peterman, Amber & Santos, Florence, 2014. "Land, assets, and livelihoods: Gendered analysis of evidence from Odisha State in India:," IFPRI discussion papers 1323, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. De Janvry, Alain & Sadoulet, Elisabeth & Murgai, Rinku, 2002. "Rural development and rural policy," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: B. L. Gardner & G. C. Rausser (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 31, pages 1593-1658, Elsevier.
    11. Alemayehu, B. & Hagos, Fitsum & Haileslassie, A. & Mapedza, Everisto & Awulachew, Seleshi Bekele & Peden, D. & Tafesse, T., 2009. "Prospect of payments for environmental services in the Blue Nile Basin: examples from Koga and Gumera watersheds, Ethiopia," Conference Papers h042521, International Water Management Institute.
    12. Nkonya, Ephraim & Phillip, Dayo & Mogues, Tewodaj & Pender, John & Yahaya, Muhammed Kuta & Adebowale, Gbenga & Arokoyo, Tunji & Kato, Edward, 2008. "From the ground up: Impacts of a pro-poor community-driven development project in Nigeria," IFPRI discussion papers 756, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Unay Gailhard, ilkay & Bavorova, Miroslava, 2014. "Innovation at Rural Enterprises: Results from a Survey of German Organic and Conventional Farmers," MPRA Paper 58331, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Markelova, Helen & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Hellin, Jon & Dohrn, Stephan, 2009. "Collective action for smallholder market access," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 1-7, February.
    15. Bryan, Elizabeth & Behrman, Julia A., 2013. "Community–based adaptation to climate change: A theoretical framework, overview of key issues and discussion of gender differentiated priorities and participation," CAPRi working papers 109, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Pienaar, Louw & Traub, Lulama, 2015. "Understanding the smallholder farmer in South Africa: Towards a sustainable livelihoods classification," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212633, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Gamache, Nicolas & Domon, Gérald & Jean, Yves, 2004. "Pour une compréhension des espaces ruraux : représentations du paysage de territoires français et québécois," Cahiers d'Economie et de Sociologie Rurales (CESR), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 73.
    18. Paul J. Block & Kenneth Strzepek & Mark W. Rosegrant & Xinshen Diao, 2008. "Impacts of considering climate variability on investment decisions in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 39(2), pages 171-181, September.
    19. Pender, John & Jagger, Pamela & Nkonya, Ephraim & Sserunkuuma, Dick, 2004. "Development Pathways and Land Management in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 767-792, May.
    20. Waselin Salomon & Yannick Useni Sikuzani & Kouagou Raoul Sambieni & Akoua Tamia Madeleine Kouakou & Yao Sadaiou Sabas Barima & Jean Marie Théodat & Jan Bogaert, 2022. "Land Cover Dynamics along the Urban–Rural Gradient of the Port-au-Prince Agglomeration (Republic of Haiti) from 1986 to 2021," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:taf:deveza:v:23:y:2006:i:4:p:461-476. 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: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CDSA20 .

    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.