Understanding adoption and promotion of CA

Experiences in Laikipia County

Freddy van HulstSupervisors: H. Posthumus

J. Morton

Nairobi, June 2014

Contents

• IntroductionMy backgroundCA and smallholder farming

• The adoption of CAReasoned action approach

• The promotion of CASome observations

• DiscussionCA in Kenya

My background

• Wageningen University (The Netherlands)MSc: Land Degradation and Development

Modelling soil erosion under CA and conventional

MSc: Rural Development SociologyFarmers’ dreams and objectives in rural development

• University of Greenwich (United Kingdom)PhD: Combination of technical + social perspectives in Conservation Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture

• Minimum soil disturbance

• Permanent soil cover– Mulch– Cover Crops

• Crop Rotations

• Agro-ecological principles• Africa’s Green

Revolution?

Small-scale farming

• 97% of all the farms in the world are family farms (500 million households)

• 70% of the active farmers are women

• They produce about 50% of the food consumed by humans, farming on 20% of the land

Cassidy et al., 2013 Ecological letters 8

Why CA for small-holders?

Advantages at field level

• Labour and cost reduction• Erosion control• Nutrient cycling• Increasing soil biology activity• Improving water balance• C and N input in soils• Forage production• Pest and disease control• Etc.

Global level agenda:1. Crop production intensification2. Sustainability of ecosystem services

of agriculture

ABACO: “to combat soil degradation and food insecurity”

CA4CC:For Climate Change adaptation and CC resilient agricultureWe can agree:

CA for improved, sustainable livelihoods

What are reasons for farmers (not) to choose CA?

The adoption process

Delivery aspect

Adoption process

Uptake aspect

Methodology

FFS members

Non-FFS members

CropsMaize

/beansPotatoes

Sample4 FFS (n=32)

Non-FFS(n=62)

Conventional approach: determinants of behaviour

perception

decision

effort

cognitive

normative

conative

environmental factors

economic factors

institutional factors

personal factors

Innovation diffusion

Economic constraints

Adopter perception

MethodologySocial psychology

ActionIntention

Attitude towards action

Outcome beliefs

Social normsSocial beliefs

Perceived control

Control beliefs Actual

control

Willing

Stimulated

Capable

Reasoned Action Approach

•Ploughing•Direct Planting•Spraying Herbicides •Shallow Weeding•Mulching•Etc.

Results and discussion

Intention

Attitude

Injunctive Norm

Descriptive Norm

Perceived Control

-2 -1 0 1 2

Direct Planting

FFS members

Non-FFS members

*******ns***

*** = p<0.001, * = p<0.05; ns = not significant.

ResultsAction: Attitude

towards behaviour

Perceived Behavioural Control

Often heard remarks from farmers

Direct planting: X X • How can it work? (A)• Which tools to use? (PBC)

Ploughing X • We have always ploughed (A)

• Equipment is available (PBC)

Shallow weeding X • Traditional practice (A)• Not effective (A)

Spraying herbicides

X X • Which Herbicide? (PBC) • When to apply? (PBC)• Effects on soil? (A)

Mulching X • Competing uses (PBC)• Increase in pests (A)

Cover Crop X X • Which variety to use? (PBC)

• Planting between maize? (A)

Crop Rotation X • My land is too small (PBC)• It keeps the soil fertile (A)

ResultsAction: Attitude Control Remarks

Direct planting: X X • How can it work? • Which tools to use?

Ploughing X • We have always ploughed• Equipment is available

Shallow weeding X • Traditional practice• Not effective

Spraying herbicides

X X • Which Herbicide? • When to apply? • Effects on soil?

Mulching X • Competing uses• Increase in pests

Cover Crop X X • Which variety to use? • Planting between maize?

Crop Rotation X • My land is too small• Big potential!

How is CA promoted?

The adoption process

Delivery aspect

Adoption process

Uptake aspect

Promotion of CA

Tittonel et al. 2012

Focus Groups: learning

• It saves time• It saves money• You can plant

early• Better yields• Strong plants• Less weeds• Soft, fertile soils• More moisture

• No equipment• It costs money• More weeds• Hard, infertile

soils• Less moisture People hold different, sometimes contradicting beliefs about CA

Two examples of CA. Picture taken at the same day, in areas of similar rainfall. Will both farmers have the same attitude towards CA after this season? No. It is the perceived effects that inform beliefs.

Learning and CA

• “Blame the student” – Farmers as ignorant, backward, lazy etc.

• “Blame the teacher” – No extension, no inputs, project too short, no

follow-up of projects, etc.

• Rather: improve learning together– From “Instrumental” to “communicative” rationale

(Habermas)

Focus Groups: challenges

• Farming challenges fit with CA solutions:– Irregular rains– Lack of credit– Pests and diseases potential for CA?

• Gender and CA– Farm management decisions made by men

• Invite ♂ & ♀ to trainings

– Less costs (benefits ♂), Less labour (benefits ♀)– Fertile soils, more production (♂ & ♀)

Conclusions

• Willingness, capability and social acceptance explain intention to do CA practices

• Training and learning is keyIt influences both perceived control and attitudes.

• Respect farmers’ social independence• Broad Innovation Systems perspective needed• Move from Instrumental to communicative

thinking in connecting promotion and adoption

Understanding adoption and promotion of CA

Experiences in Laikipia County

Freddy van Hulst

Thank you!

Discussion• Is there a future for CA in Kenya?

• How to change attitudes? – Experimenting, exposure to new ideas

• How to change ability? – Knowledge is essential– Include all actors (tools, marketing, etc.)– Experimenting

• How to respect farmers’ social independence? – Creating the Capabilities for change

FFS members

Non-FFS members

*** = p<0.001, ** = p<0.01, * = p<0.05; ns = not significant.

Methodology: questionnaire

(future) IntentionVery unlikely

PossibleVery

likely

AttitudeVery foolish

NeutralVery wise

Important others think

I should not plough

They have no opinion

I should plough

Important others plough

Very few ModeratelyVery

many

Control: ploughing is

Very difficult

AverageVery easy

Example. ...ploughing on your land, in the long rain season 2014:

Literature• Social Psychology, the Reasoned Action Approach

Fishbein, Martin, and Icek Ajzen. 2010. Predicting and Changing Behavior; the Reasoned Action Approach. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

• Targeting technology, and innovation systems:

Tittonell, Pablo, E. Scopel, N. Andrieu, H. Posthumus, P. Mapfumo, M. Corbeels, G.E. van Halsema, et al. 2012. “Agroecology-based Aggradation-conservation Agriculture (ABACO): Targeting Innovations to Combat Soil Degradation and Food Insecurity in Semi-arid Africa.” Field Crops Research 132 (June): 168–174. doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2011.12.011.