Farmers’ innovativeness and positive affirmation as main drivers of adoption of soil fertility management practices : evidence across sites in Africa

Spurk, Christoph; Koch, Carmen; Bürgin, Reto; Chikopela, Louis; Konaté, Famagan; Nyabuga, George; Sarpong, Daniel Bruce; Sousa, Fernando; Fliessbach, Andreas

doi:10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-29275

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Farmers’ innovativeness and positive affirmation as main drivers of adoption of soil fertility management practices : evidence across sites in Africa
Authors:	Spurk, Christoph Koch, Carmen Bürgin, Reto Chikopela, Louis Konaté, Famagan Nyabuga, George Sarpong, Daniel Bruce Sousa, Fernando Fliessbach, Andreas
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909 10.21256/zhaw-29275
Published in:	The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
Issue Date:	Nov-2023
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	1389-224X 1750-8622
Language:	English
Subjects:	Innovativeness; Soil fertility management practice; Science communication; Innovation; Smallholder; Africa; Sub-Sahara; Farmer communication
Subject (DDC):	630: Agriculture
Abstract:	Purpose: Declining soil fertility is worrying in sub-Saharan Africa. Various technologies serve to mitigate or rebuild soil fertility, butuptake by farmers, especially smallholders, is low. The study addresses this adoption problem in a novel way, assessing empirically many factors from various domains (economic, socio-demographic, individual, institutional, networks and information sources) to identify what drives adoption. Design/Methodology/Approach: The panel study used data frombaseline and endline surveys with 1870 smallholders in Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Zambia. Quantitative data were analysed simultaneously via logistic regression, complemented by qualitative interviews. The study demonstrates the advantage of panel studies, as they can measure changes in practice or in farmers’ attitudes. Findings: Individual factors, for example innovativeness, perception about soil fertility and correct knowledge, have the biggest influence on adoption. Socio-demographic and economic factors, by contrast, play hardly any role, as do individual information sources. Practical implications: Future research should focus on in-depth studies of individual factors, e.g. innovativeness and knowledge, and on the information environment of farmers. Communication efforts must primarily target innovative farmers, ensure high quality, address competing messages, and communicate through many different channels. Theoretical implications: The importance of ‘intrinsic’ factors that have previously been overlooked in adoption studies in SSA becomes clear. Originality/Value: The study is one of very few that empirically assesses a wide range of independent variables to identify the drivers of adoption. It reports not only significance but also effect sizes.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/29275
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	CC BY 4.0: Attribution 4.0 International
Departement:	Applied Linguistics
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Applied Media Studies (IAM)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Farmer-driven organic resource management to build soil fertility and improve food security
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Angewandte Linguistik

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Spurk, C., Koch, C., Bürgin, R., Chikopela, L., Konaté, F., Nyabuga, G., Sarpong, D. B., Sousa, F., & Fliessbach, A. (2023). Farmers’ innovativeness and positive affirmation as main drivers of adoption of soil fertility management practices : evidence across sites in Africa. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension. https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909

Spurk, C. et al. (2023) ‘Farmers’ innovativeness and positive affirmation as main drivers of adoption of soil fertility management practices : evidence across sites in Africa’, The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909.

C. Spurk et al., “Farmers’ innovativeness and positive affirmation as main drivers of adoption of soil fertility management practices : evidence across sites in Africa,” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909.

SPURK, Christoph, Carmen KOCH, Reto BÜRGIN, Louis CHIKOPELA, Famagan KONATÉ, George NYABUGA, Daniel Bruce SARPONG, Fernando SOUSA und Andreas FLIESSBACH, 2023. Farmers’ innovativeness and positive affirmation as main drivers of adoption of soil fertility management practices : evidence across sites in Africa. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension. November 2023. DOI 10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909

Spurk, Christoph, Carmen Koch, Reto Bürgin, Louis Chikopela, Famagan Konaté, George Nyabuga, Daniel Bruce Sarpong, Fernando Sousa, and Andreas Fliessbach. 2023. “Farmers’ Innovativeness and Positive Affirmation as Main Drivers of Adoption of Soil Fertility Management Practices : Evidence across Sites in Africa.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, November. https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909.

Spurk, Christoph, et al. “Farmers’ Innovativeness and Positive Affirmation as Main Drivers of Adoption of Soil Fertility Management Practices : Evidence across Sites in Africa.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, Nov. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2023.2281909.