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2. The Dynamics of Climate Change Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Climate-Smart Agriculture among Small-Scale Farmers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Abegunde, Victor (author), Sibanda, Melusi (author), and Obi, Aburuchukwu (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-03-01
- Published:
- United States of America: MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12470
- Journal Title:
- Climate
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 7 Issue 11
- Notes:
- Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as a credible alternative to tackle food insecurity under the changing climate is gaining wide acceptance. However, many developing countries have realized that concepts that have been recommended as solutions to existing problems are not suitable in their contexts. This paper synthesizes a subset of literature on CSA in the context of small-scale agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa as it relates to the need for CSA, factors influencing CSA adoption, and the challenges involved in understanding and scaling up CSA. Findings from the literature reveal that age, farm size, the nature of farming, and access to extension services influence CSA adoption. Many investments in climate adaptation projects have found little success because of the sole focus on the technology-oriented approach whereby innovations are transferred to farmers whose understanding of the local farming circumstances are limited. Climate-smart agriculture faces the additional challenge of a questionable conceptual understanding among policymakers as well as financing bottlenecks. This paper argues that the prospects of CSA in small-scale agriculture rest on a thorough socio-economic analysis that recognizes the heterogeneity of the small farmer environment and the identification and harnessing of the capacities of farming households for its adoption and implementation
3. Are religious farmers more risk taking? empirical evidence from ethiopia
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Abraha Kahsay, Goytom (author), Asmare Kassie, Workineh (author), Medhin, Haileselassie (author), and Gårn Hansen, Lars (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-02-08
- Published:
- United States: Wiley Online
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12441
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Economics
- Notes:
- 16 pages, There is growing evidence that religiosity affects important socio-economic outcomes. A potential channel through which religiosity affects these outcomes is by shaping individuals’ risk preferences. We combine a lab-in-the-field experiment, survey, and focus-group discussions to investigate the effect of religiosity on risk-taking among rural people in Ethiopia. We find evidence that religious farmers are more risk-taking. The effect is likely driven by the trust/belief in God as the omniscient and just power in determining outcomes under uncertainty. This is further corroborated by results from follow-up focus-group discussions.
4. Drivers and Constraints to the Adoption of Organic Leafy Vegetable Production in Nigeria: A Livelihood Approach
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Adbegboyega, J.A. (author), Olabisi, L.S. (author), Liverpool-Tassie, L.W. (author), and Delate, K. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-12-21
- Published:
- United States: MTDI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12471
- Journal Title:
- Sustainability
- Journal Title Details:
- 12(1), 96
- Notes:
- Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world, is plagued by livelihood challenges such as poverty and food insecurity, which are more pervasive among farming households and rural communities. Organic farming is being promoted by some domestic non-governmental organizations as a means of addressing the problem of poverty and food insecurity among farming households and rural communities in the country. Promoters consider organic farming to be well-suited to smallholder farmers’ socio-economic conditions in Nigeria, and that it can help improve their livelihood conditions through increased agricultural productivity and farm income. However, the adoption of the technology by smallholder farmers has been underwhelming, for reasons yet to be studied. Using a livelihood framework and through a case study of farmers in Ibadan, Oyo State, this study qualitatively explores and provides insights into the factors that influence, constrain, and gender the adoption of organic farming in Nigeria. Overall, it was found that a mix of factors, which include institutional considerations, farmers’ livelihood assets and vulnerability contexts, their livelihood activities, and gender-related variables shaped adoption decision-making. The policy implications of the findings were outlined.
5. Public extension agents' need for new competencies: evidence from a climate variability study in Limpopo Province, South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Afful, D.B. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016-01-01
- Published:
- South Africa: SciELO
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12472
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol 44 (2)
- Notes:
- 11 pages, Changes occurring in the Extension environment include that of climate. Reduced and sporadic rainfall is among the effects of climate change and variability with consequent negative effects on food production. Smallholder agriculture in most developing countries world-wide, including South Africa, is largely rain-fed. Extension agents, therefore, need to constantly improve their capabilities to remain useful to farming communities. The purpose of the paper is to determine Extension agents' climate variability coping competencies required to effectively support smallholder crop farmers' production. The study adopted a multi-stage random sampling approach to site and respondents' selection. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data in 2014 from smallholder crop farmers in four municipalities of Limpopo province. Information was also collected from Extension managers and field-level extension agents of the Limpopo Department of Agriculture by means of questionnaires. The most popular climate variability coping strategy promoted by most extension agents was conservation agriculture. Small yield differences between Extension service-recipients and non-recipients indicate that Extension support has minimal effect on farmers' production. Agents need new competencies regarding correct application conservation agriculture. The study recommends the involvement of extension agents, scientists and farmers in adaptive trials for effective implementation of conservation agricultural practices to improve crop yields.
6. Farmers' perceptions of climate variability, their adaptation strategies and agricultural productivity: a case of Limpopo province, South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Aful, D. B. (author) and Ayisi, K. (author)
- Format:
- Journal Article
- Publication Date:
- 2020-12
- Published:
- South Africa: SciELO
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12093
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 48 No.2, 2020
- Notes:
- 14 pgs., The provision of farm management decision support and advisory services to insure climate resilient agricultural production systems, especially for subsistence farmers, depends on data on such producers. The main objective of the paper was to generate such data by comparing the status quo regarding dryland, subsistence grain farmers’ perceptions of climate variability, their adaptation strategies and crop productivity. Using a survey questionnaire, the comparison was made across time (2014 and 2017) in selected municipalities of Limpopo province. The findings across time and aggregated for all the different local municipalities investigated were similar regarding respondents’ perceptions of climate variability, adaptation strategies used and crop productivity. The perceptions revealed that respondents were aware of the reality of climate variability and its negative effects on their crop and livestock production, Agricultural productivity amongst extension and non-extension recipients was low, with minimal differences. These findings auger well for the development of common strategies to improve the effectiveness of the support for farm management including climate variability that is provided by the public agricultural extension service to the group of producers in this study to reduce the negative effects of climate variability on their crop productivity. This will eventually help to improve their food security.
7. Crop choice, drought and gender: new insights from smallholders’ response to weather shocks in rural uganda
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Agamile, Peter (author), Dimova, Ralitza (author), and Golan, Jennifer (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-01
- Published:
- United States: John Wiley & Sons Ltd
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12351
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Economics
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 72, No. 3
- Notes:
- 28 pages, We analyse gender differences in the response of smallholder farmers to droughts, taking the duration and severity of the even t into account. Using a novel weather shock measure that combines spatial rainfall data with detailed cropping calendars, survey data from Uganda and standard econometric techniques, we find that adverse weather events provide an opportunity for women to enter the commercial crop market by allocating land from subsistence to income generating crops. This counterintuitive pattern is, in part, explained by the greater propensity of men to allocate time to non-agricultural activities in the event of weather shocks.
8. Determinants of cohesion in smallholder farmer groups in Uganda
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Agole, David (author), Yoder, Edgar (author), Brennan, Mark (author), Baggett, Connie (author), Ewing, John (author), Beckman, Matthew (author), and Biryabaho Matsiko, Frank (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-01-29
- Published:
- United States: OJS / PKP
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12502
- Journal Title:
- Advancements in Agricultural Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 2 (1)
- Notes:
- 16 pages, Cohesion is a fundamental determinant of performance in farmer groups in which collective action is pursued for the benefit of the members. The study examined the influence of individual members’ objectives, participation culture, group rewards, structure of tasks and perceived equity on cohesion of farmer groups that can promote access to agricultural extension services. Quantitative data were collected from 180 members of 19 farmer groups using questionnaires selected in a multi-stage process that combined purposive and random sampling. Qualitative data were gathered from 20 key informants in oral interviews and three focus group discussions. Regression analysis indicated that there were statistically significant negative relationships between individual members’ objectives, structure of the tasks, group reward system and cohesion of farmer groups. In contrast, perceived equity had a statistically significant positive relationship with cohesion in farmer groups. We recommend that, for sustainability of group cohesion, group facilitators work with the farmer groups to ensure alignment of group and NAADS institutions and performance indicators. A group dynamics perspective to understanding farmer group cohesion should be a helpful organizing principle.
9. Development support communication and popular participation in development projects
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Agunga, Robert A. (author / Agricultural Communication, Department of Agricultural Education, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 1990-05
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 88 Document Number: C05994
- Journal Title:
- Gazette; International Journal for Mass Communication Studies
- Journal Title Details:
- 45 (3) : 137-145
- Notes:
- James F. Evans Collection
10. A survey of farmers' extension communication needs in Zambia
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Agunga, Robert A. (author / Ohio State University) and Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education
- Format:
- conference papers
- Publication Date:
- 1997-03-04
- Published:
- Zambia
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: C20283
- Notes:
- Burton Swanson Collection, Section E; from "1997 conference papers : Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education", 13th Annual Conference, 3, 4, 5 April 1997, Arlington, Virginia