This study examines the impact of technology adoption on food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using Ukum rural community, Benue State, Nigeria, as case study site which significantly represents other Nigerian-SSA farming communities, the study tracks the impact of farmers' adoption or non-adoption of improved technology on food security vis-à-vis factors shaping their choices. It aims to make the case that adoption boosts productivity and improves food security among others. Fifty farmer-participants were randomly selected using participant observation, structured interviews, questionnaires and photographing for data collection. Applying descriptive statistics including frequencies, tables, charts and percentages, field data were analyzed. Study findings strongly suggest that the main factors significantly affecting adoption of technology include cultural values, institutionalized land tenures, cropland size, poverty, literacy level, technology complexity, agricultural extension services, age and sex. Results suggest significant correlation between literacy level, economic power and technology adoption:younger, more educated farmers with higher economic status tend to adopt new technologies; farmers with access to agricultural extension services and credit facilities were more inclined to adopting new technologies; women were found more disadvantaged in the male-centered, exclusionary land tenure practice. Consequently, the study recommends sustained public sector interventions aiming to reduce food insecurity in the region.
Agriculture is fundamental for the thriving and development of all societies. This is more the case in Africa where countless studies have demonstrated that agriculture plays major roles in the well-being of the predominantly agrarian African communities. Premised on the ideological posture that all human activities occur in situated social conditions, this study examines how conflict intersects with and impacts the agriculture economy of African communities and ultimately impedes African development. Using a Nigerian agrarian community as its site, the study appealed to political economy in carrying out this experiment. We employed interviews, direct and participant observation, photography, video and audio recordings, and strove to hew meaning from field data by using tables, graphs, descriptive analysis, and comparison with related studies. The study found that conflict imposes huge anti-development costs on Africa including high death tolls, reduced agricultural productivity, outmigration, displacement of populations, exposure to diseases, endangerment of women's and girls' lives, collapse of social order, discouragement of investors, looting, suspension of education, unemployment, food insecurity, high price of foodstuffs, and lack of effective social institutions for conflict resolution, among others. Limited for not using as many desired participants and leaving out some details, improvement is targeted as the study continues.
This study tracks the impact of early marriage and low level of education on agricultural development in SSA.Pitching itself within two Nigerian agrarian communities: The study worked with 50 randomly selected farming households from each site. Data was collected through in-depth one-on-one and follow-up interviews, questionnaires, and direct observation. Extensive multivariate and descriptive statistical analysis, tables and charts were used for data interpretation. Combining data-sets from the two sites and between families the study found that early marriage inhibits farmers' chances for education which in turn compounds their situation; those who married early with little or no education tend to have large families and suffer higher poverty incidence; children from such families often repeat the same cycles and so trapped in poverty; farmers who did not fall into this twin situation fared far much better on all counts in addition to exhibiting higher motivation to better their social capital and family socioeconomics; those in the first group are discouraged especially by the responsibility of fending for their many children. The study concludes that these two factors stand in the way to realizing the MDGs among SSA rural farmers; accordingly, some policy recommendations are put forward to address the situation.
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