IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i9p2963-d164809.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impacts of Socio-Psychological Factors on Actual Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Dryland and Water Stressed Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Woldegebrial Zeweld

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Mekelle University, Mekelle P. O. Box 231, Ethiopia
    Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium)

  • Guido Van Huylenbroeck

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium)

  • Girmay Tesfay

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Mekelle University, Mekelle P. O. Box 231, Ethiopia)

  • Hossein Azadi

    (Department of Geography, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S8m, B-9000 Gent, Belgium)

  • Stijn Speelman

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium)

Abstract

Despite the presence of several studies on technology adoption, there are limited empirical studies on how socio-psychological factors affect the adoption of sustainable agriculture. Therefore, this paper investigates how socio-psychological factors-such as social capital, information, attitudes, efficacy, and aversion-affect smallholder farmers’ decisions to adopt sustainable land management practices, such as agroforestry systems, organic compost, and crop rotation with legumes. Cross-sectional data are collected from 350 randomly selected farm households using a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. A multivariate probit model is used to investigate factors that influence the probability of adopting these practices. The ordered probit model is also applied to identify and analyze the determinants of the number (intensity) of land management practices adopted. The findings indicate that nearly half of the farmers have adopted these land management practices to improve soil fertility, enhance water retention capacity, and increase productivity. It is also found that attitudes, information, education, group membership, relational capital, risk attitudes, and labor supply significantly affect the probability of adopting these agricultural practices. The estimates of the ordered probit model also indicate that extension services, risk attitudes, group membership, relational capital, education and labor supply are major determinants of the number of land management practices used. However, financial resources, biophysical factors and some demographic factors are found to have an insignificant effect on sustainable agriculture adoption. This implies that when it is necessary to promote sustainable land management practices and to stimulate smallholder farmers to adopt such practices in isolation or combination, specific strategies should be designed to improve awareness, build positive attitudes, reduce risk aversion, strengthen formal organizations, and empower endogenous groups (or informal institutions).

Suggested Citation

  • Woldegebrial Zeweld & Guido Van Huylenbroeck & Girmay Tesfay & Hossein Azadi & Stijn Speelman, 2018. "Impacts of Socio-Psychological Factors on Actual Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Dryland and Water Stressed Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-23, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:2963-:d:164809
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/9/2963/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/9/2963/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tutkun, Aysel & Lehmann, Bernard & Schmidt, Peter, 2006. "Explaining the Conversion to Organic Farming of Farmers of the Obwalden Canton, Switzerland - Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior within a Structural Equation Modeling Approach," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25313, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Ulrich Hoffmann, 2011. "Assuring Food Security In Developing Countries Under The Challenges Of Climate Change: Key Trade And Development Issues Of A Fundamental Transformation Of Agriculture," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 201, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    3. Oriana Bandiera & Imran Rasul, 2006. "Social Networks and Technology Adoption in Northern Mozambique," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(514), pages 869-902, October.
    4. Yu, Xi & Hailu, Getu & Cao, Jessica, 2014. "Risk Attitudes, Social Interactions and the Adoption of Genotyping in Dairy Production," 2014 AAEA/EAAE/CAES Joint Symposium: Social Networks, Social Media and the Economics of Food, May 29-30, 2014, Montreal, Canada 166107, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Kassie, Menale & Jaleta, Moti & Shiferaw, Bekele & Mmbando, Frank & Mekuria, Mulugetta, 2013. "Adoption of interrelated sustainable agricultural practices in smallholder systems: Evidence from rural Tanzania," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 525-540.
    6. Woldegebrial Zeweld & Guido Van Huylenbroeck & Girmay Tesfay & Stijn Speelman, 2020. "Smallholder farmers' behavioural intentions towards sustainable agricultural practices," 2020 Papers pze115, Job Market Papers.
    7. Khonje, Makaiko & Manda, Julius & Alene, Arega D. & Kassie, Menale, 2015. "Analysis of Adoption and Impacts of Improved Maize Varieties in Eastern Zambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 695-706.
    8. Tutkun, Aysel & Lehmann, Bernard, 2006. "Explaining the conversion to particularly animal-friendly stabling system of farmers of the Obwalden Canton, Switzerland – Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior within a Structural Equation Mode," 80th Annual Conference, March 30-31, 2006, Paris-Grignon, France 244400, Agricultural Economics Society.
    9. 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.
    10. Hattam, Caroline, 2006. "Adopting Organic Agriculture: An Investigation Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25269, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Abebe, Gumataw K. & Bijman, Jos & Pascucci, Stefano & Omta, Onno, 2013. "Adoption of improved potato varieties in Ethiopia: The role of agricultural knowledge and innovation system and smallholder farmers’ quality assessment," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 22-32.
    12. Belaineh Legesse & Lars Drake, 2005. "Determinants of smallholder farmers' perceptions of risk in the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(5), pages 383-416, July.
    13. Arellanes, Peter & Lee, David R., 2003. "The Determinants Of Adoption Of Sustainable Agriculture Technologies: Evidence From The Hillsides Of Honduras," 2003 Annual Meeting, August 16-22, 2003, Durban, South Africa 25826, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. 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.
    15. Meike Wollni & David R. Lee & Janice E. Thies, 2010. "Conservation agriculture, organic marketing, and collective action in the Honduran hillsides," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(3‐4), pages 373-384, May.
    16. 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.
    17. Elaine M. Liu, 2013. "Time to Change What to Sow: Risk Preferences and Technology Adoption Decisions of Cotton Farmers in China," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(4), pages 1386-1403, October.
    18. Jesus Barreiro-Hurle & Maria Espinosa-Goded & Pierre Dupraz, 2010. "Does intensity of change matter? Factors affecting adoption of agri-environmental schemes in Spain," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(7), pages 891-905.
    19. Erwin Wauters & Erik Mathijs, 2014. "The adoption of farm level soil conservation practices in developed countries: a meta-analytic review," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(1), pages 78-102.
    20. Barreiro-Hurlé, Jesús & Espinosa-Goded, Maria & Dupraz, Pierre, 2008. "Does Intensity Of Change Matter? Factors Affecting Adoption In Two Agri-Environmental Schemes," 107th Seminar, January 30-February 1, 2008, Sevilla, Spain 6458, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    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. Sourou T. Christian Adjiba & Ygué Patrice Adégbola & Rosaine Nérice Yegbemey & Jacob A. Yabi, 2023. "Review And Synthesis of Sustainable Land Management on Small Family Farms in Developing Countries," Journal of Agricultural Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 11(3), pages 1-25, September.
    2. Samuel Assefa & Aad Kessler & Luuk Fleskens, 2018. "Assessing Farmers’ Willingness to Participate in Campaign-Based Watershed Management: Experiences from Boset District, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Habtamu Nebere & Degefa Tolossa & Amare Bantider, 2021. "Analyzing Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Land Management Practices in Mecha Woreda, Northwestern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-15, June.
    4. Alelgn Ewunetu & Belay Simane & Ermias Teferi & Benjamin F. Zaitchik, 2021. "Relationships and the Determinants of Sustainable Land Management Technologies in North Gojjam Sub-Basin, Upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Castillo, Gracia Maria Lanza & Engler, Alejandra & Wollni, Meike, 2021. "Planned behavior and social capital: Understanding farmers’ behavior toward pressurized irrigation technologies," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    6. Vu, Ha Thu & Tran, Duc & Goto, Daisaku & Kawata, Keisuke, 2020. "Does experience sharing affect farmers’ pro-environmental behavior? A randomized controlled trial in Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    7. Shahrina Md Nordin & Sonia Lohana & Siti Nooriza Abd Razak & Vicky Kumar & Rafidah Abdul Rashid & Ammar Redza Ahmad Rizal & Eko Atmadji, 2023. "Identification of Opportunities for Espousing Green Fertilizers Technology Among Smallholder Paddy Farmers for Higher Productivity and Environmental Sustenance," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    8. Hui Li & Diejun Huang & Qiuzhuo Ma & Wene Qi & Hua Li, 2019. "Factors Influencing the Technology Adoption Behaviours of Litchi Farmers in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Oluwaseun Samuel Oduniyi, 2022. "Factors Driving the Adoption and Use Extent of Sustainable Land Management Practices in South Africa," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.

    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. 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.
    2. Gebremariam, Gebrelibanos & Tesfaye, Wondimagegn, 2018. "The heterogeneous effect of shocks on agricultural innovations adoption: Microeconometric evidence from rural Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 154-161.
    3. 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.
    4. Aslihan Arslan & Kristin Floress & Christine Lamanna & Leslie Lipper & Solomon Asfaw & Todd Rosenstock, 2020. "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 63 - The adoption of improved agricultural technologies - A meta-analysis for Africa," IFAD Research Series 304758, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    5. Yang, Qi & Zhu, Yueji & Liu, Ling & Wang, Fang, 2021. "Land tenure stability and adoption intensity of sustainable agricultural practices: Evidence from banana farmers in China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315254, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Zeweld, Woldegebrial & Van Huylenbroeck, Guido & Tesfay, Girmay & Azadi, Hossein & Speelman, Stijn, 2020. "Sustainable agricultural practices, environmental risk mitigation and livelihood improvements: Empirical evidence from Northern Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. 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.
    8. Alexis Rampa & Yiorgos Gadanakis & Gillian Rose, 2020. "Land Reform in the Era of Global Warming—Can Land Reforms Help Agriculture Be Climate-Smart?," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-24, November.
    9. Ndiritu, S. Wagura & Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele, 2014. "Are there systematic gender differences in the adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices? Evidence from Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 117-127.
    10. Giuseppe Maggio & Marina Mastrorillo & Nicholas J. Sitko, 2022. "Adapting to High Temperatures: Effect of Farm Practices and Their Adoption Duration on Total Value of Crop Production in Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(1), pages 385-403, January.
    11. Ali M. Oumer & Michael Burton & Atakelty Hailu & Amin Mugera, 2020. "Sustainable agricultural intensification practices and cost efficiency in smallholder maize farms: Evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(6), pages 841-856, November.
    12. Varma, Poornima, 2017. "Adoption of System of Rice Intensification and its Impact on Rice Yields and Household Income: An Analysis for India," IIMA Working Papers WP2017-02-03, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    13. Tufa, Adane Hirpa & Alene, Arega D. & Manda, Julius & Akinwale, M.G. & Chikoye, David & Feleke, Shiferaw & Wossen, Tesfamicheal & Manyong, Victor, 2019. "The productivity and income effects of adoption of improved soybean varieties and agronomic practices in Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Adjognon,Guigonan Serge & Nguyen Huy,Tung & Guthoff,Jonas Christoph & van Soest,Daan, 2022. "Incentivizing Social Learning for the Diffusion of Climate-Smart Agricultural Techniques," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10041, The World Bank.
    15. Varma, P., 2018. "Adoption and the Impact of System of Rice Intensification on Rice Yields and Household Income: A study for India," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 275986, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Manda, Julius & Khonje, Makaiko G. & Alene, Arega D. & Tufa, Adane H & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Mutenje, Munyaradzi & Setimela, Peter & Manyong, Victor, 2020. "Does cooperative membership increase and accelerate agricultural technology adoption? Empirical evidence from Zambia," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    17. Hörner, Denise & Wollni, Meike, 2021. "Integrated soil fertility management and household welfare in Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    18. Misganaw Teshager Abeje & Atsushi Tsunekawa & Enyew Adgo & Nigussie Haregeweyn & Zerihun Nigussie & Zemen Ayalew & Asres Elias & Dessalegn Molla & Daregot Berihun, 2019. "Exploring Drivers of Livelihood Diversification and Its Effect on Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-23, May.
    19. Martey, Edward & Kuwornu, John K.M., 2021. "Perceptions of Climate Variability and Soil Fertility Management Choices Among Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    20. Kim, Jongwoo & Mason, Nicole M. & Snapp, Sieglinde S., 2018. "Does sustainable intensification of maize production enhance child nutrition? Evidence from rural Tanzania," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273906, 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:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:2963-:d:164809. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.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.