14 pages, This study examines how smallholder coffee farmers’ perceptions may influence their engagement in peer mobilization and collective action. Forty smallholder coffee farmers were interviewed in the Central Highlands region of Peru using a closed-ended instrument. The sample of smallholder farmers was achieved using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Quantitative data on farmers’ attitudes and aspirations regarding working with peers, autonomy, and external support as well as knowledge, skills, and behaviors pertinent to collective actions were collected and analyzed using descriptive and correlational procedures. Key findings indicate farmers perceive a need for external support, feel there are benefits of collective actions, and aspire to work with their peers. Based on the findings, it is recommended that practitioners and farmer group leaders focus training efforts on building smallholders’ knowledge and skills in mobilization, encourage peer association/collective action as a source of external support, and target knowledgeable, skilled and confident farmers to lead collective actions. This study has implications to bolster support for farmer-to-farmer extension and technical assistance systems and inform the identification of leader farmers.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 160 Document Number: C26255
Notes:
From the Omaha World-Herald, Omaha, Nebraska, via Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. 2 pages., Describes a University of Nebraska class project in which journalism students covered rural and small-town issues in central and western Nebraska.
Karbasioun, Mostafa (author), Mulder, Martin (author), Biemans, Harm (author), and Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE).
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2006-05-14
Published:
Iran
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 150 Document Number: C24188
Notes:
Retrieved June 17, 2006, Pages 321-332 in proceedings of the AIAEE conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida, May 14-17, 2006.
