IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/syspar/v36y2023i1d10.1007_s11213-022-09601-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Participatory Action Research, Social Networks, and Gender Influence Soil Fertility Management in Tanzania

Author

Listed:
  • Powell Mponela

    (Alliance for Bioversity and CIAT)

  • Julius Manda

    (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA))

  • Michael Kinyua

    (Alliance for Bioversity and CIAT)

  • Job Kihara

    (Alliance for Bioversity and CIAT)

Abstract

Transformation of knowledge systems and fostering learning among smallholder farmers such as through participatory action research (PAR) is key to agricultural growth in rural sub-Saharan Africa. We investigate how PAR influences uptake/use of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) while accounting for gendered, bonding and bridging social capital. Stratified by engagement in a mother-baby PAR and by resource endowments, 607 smallholder farmers were sampled from northern Tanzania. Binary logistic and multinomial logit models revealed that full engagement in PAR was associated with early adoption of inorganic fertilizers, either as a dichotomous decision or an ISFM bundle with improved varieties, organic matter inputs and soil and water conservation. Bonding social capital through cooperatives, farmer groups, and farmer-farmer local networks supports soil and water conservation, especially among resource-poor farmers. Among the high-resource farmers, increased women’s bargaining power in farm input purchases supports fertilizer and manure use while increased bargaining power in livestock tending supports crop residue incorporation. ISFM usage is constrained by age of decision-makers and a higher number of dependents per worker while education level and farm sizes increase its likelihood. In the resource-constrained, with low extension and technical support, and men-dominated patrilineal farming systems of Africa, the study places PAR, social networks, and gender inclusivity as key approaches for improving smallholder’ ISFM.

Suggested Citation

  • Powell Mponela & Julius Manda & Michael Kinyua & Job Kihara, 2023. "Participatory Action Research, Social Networks, and Gender Influence Soil Fertility Management in Tanzania," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 141-163, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:syspar:v:36:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s11213-022-09601-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11213-022-09601-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11213-022-09601-3
    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/s11213-022-09601-3?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. Yao Pan & Stephen C Smith & Munshi Sulaiman, 2018. "Agricultural Extension and Technology Adoption for Food Security: Evidence from Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(4), pages 1012-1031.
    2. Just, Richard E & Zilberman, David, 1983. "Stochastic Structure, Farm Size and Technology Adoption in Developing Agriculture," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 307-328, July.
    3. Andrew Dorward, 1999. "Farm size and productivity in Malawian smallholder agriculture," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(5), pages 141-161.
    4. Zellner, Arnold, 1999. "Keep It Sophisticatedly Simple," CUDARE Working Papers 198673, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    5. Andre Croppenstedt & Mulat Demeke & Meloria M. Meschi, 2003. "Technology Adoption in the Presence of Constraints: the Case of Fertilizer Demand in Ethiopia," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(1), pages 58-70, February.
    6. Okoboi, Godfrey & Barungi, Mildred, 2012. "Constraints to Fertiliser Use in Uganda: Insights from Uganda Census of Agriculture 2008/9," Research Series 150240, Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC).
    7. Mukasa, Adamon N., 2018. "Technology adoption and risk exposure among smallholder farmers: Panel data evidence from Tanzania and Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 299-309.
    8. Mariola Acosta & Margit van Wessel & Severine van Bommel & Edidah L. Ampaire & Jennifer Twyman & Laurence Jassogne & Peter H. Feindt, 2020. "What does it Mean to Make a ‘Joint’ Decision? Unpacking Intra-household Decision Making in Agriculture: Implications for Policy and Practice," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(6), pages 1210-1229, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Yu, Bingxin & Nin-Pratt, Alejandro & Funes, José & Gemessa, Sinafikeh Asrat, 2011. "Cereal production and technology adoption in Ethiopia:," ESSP working papers 31, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Ruth Hill & Carolina Mejia-Mantilla & Kathryn Vasilaky, 2021. "Is the Price Right? Returns to Input Adoption in Uganda," Working Papers 2105, California Polytechnic State University, Department of Economics.
    3. Ozaki, Ryosuke & Tsujimoto, Yasuhiro & Andriamananjara, Andry & Rakotonindrina, Hobimiarantsoa & Sakurai, Takeshi, 2021. "Impact of Information of Expected Effectiveness Based on Soil Quality on Farmers’ Decision of Fertilizer Use: Evidence from Madagascar," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315272, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Teno, Gabriel & Lehrer, Kim & Kone, Abdoulaye, 2018. "Les facteurs de l’adoption des nouvelles technologies en agriculture en Afrique Subsaharienne: une revue de la littérature," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 13(2), June.
    5. Mekdim D. Regassa & Mohammed B. Degnet & Mequanint B. Melesse, 2023. "Access to credit and heterogeneous effects on agricultural technology adoption: Evidence from large rural surveys in Ethiopia," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 71(2), pages 231-253, June.
    6. 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.
    7. Abate, Gashaw Tadesse & Rashid, Shahidur & Borzaga, Carlos & Getnet, Kindie, 2015. "Rural finance and agricultural technology adoption in Ethiopia: Does institutional design matter?:," IFPRI discussion papers 1422, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Chitra Pandey & Hema Diwan, 2021. "Assessing fertilizer use behaviour for environmental management and sustainability: a quantitative study in agriculturally intensive regions of Uttar Pradesh, India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 5822-5845, April.
    9. Elaine Meichen Liu, 2008. "Time to Change What to Sow: Risk Preferences and Technology Adoption Decisions of Cotton Farmers in China," Working Papers 1064, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    10. Varma, Poornima, 2016. "Agricultural Technology Adoption under Multiple Constraints: An Analysis of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in India," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235806, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    11. Barrett,Christopher B. & Sheahan,Megan Britney & Barrett,Christopher B. & Sheahan,Megan Britney, 2014. "Understanding the agricultural input landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa : recent plot, household, and community-level evidence," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7014, The World Bank.
    12. Lambrecht, Isabel & Vanlauwe, Bernard & Merckx, Roel & Maertens, Miet, 2014. "Understanding the Process of Agricultural Technology Adoption: Mineral Fertilizer in Eastern DR Congo," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 132-146.
    13. Sevias Guvuriro & Frederik Booysen, 2021. "Family‐type public goods and intra‐household decision‐making by co‐resident South African couples," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 1629-1647, August.
    14. Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda, 2012. "Targeted Subsidies and Private Market Participation: An Assessment of Fertilizer Demand in Nigeria:," IFPRI discussion papers 1194, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Just, Richard E. & Rausser, Gordon C., 1985. "Determination of the predominance of various expectations patterns in commodity futures and spot markets," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt9wv9s614, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    16. 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.
    17. Fetene, G.M. & Getehun, T.D., 2018. "Agricultural Technology Adoption for Food and Nutrition Security: Evidence from Ethiopia," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277332, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Langyintuo, Augustine S. & Mungoma, Catherine, 2008. "The effect of household wealth on the adoption of improved maize varieties in Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 550-559, December.
    19. Cuong Le Van & Nguyen To The, 2019. "Farmers’ adoption of organic production," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 33-59, February.
    20. Serra, Teresa & Zilberman, David & Goodwin, Barry K. & Featherstone, Allen M., 2005. "Effects of Decoupling on the Average and the Variability of Output," 2005 International Congress, August 23-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark 24601, European Association of Agricultural Economists.

    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:syspar:v:36:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s11213-022-09601-3. 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.