Factors influencing the adoption of physical soil and water conservation practices in the Ethiopian highlands

Mekuriaw, Asnake; Heinimann, Andreas; Zeleke, Gete; Hurni, Hans

doi:10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.12.006

Cited by 115 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Similarly, male headed households are also more likely to adopt SWC than female headed household. The possible explanation is that male headed households have better access to information and the labor required to implement new technology than do female headed household (Mekuriaw et al 2018;Bekele and Drake 2006).…”

Section: Endogenous Switching Regression Estimation Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the 1980s, the country started SWC campaigns, encouraging the implementation of SWC practices in drought prone and extremely land degraded parts of Ethiopia (Mekuriaw and Hurni 2015). However, as farmers were forced to implement a conservation structure designed by experts, the program was not effective (Haregeweyn et al 2015;Mekuriaw et al 2018;Mekuriaw and Hurni 2015;Wolka 2014). Since the Ethiopian People Republic Democratic Front (EPRDF) came to power in 1991, SWC has been a part of the agriculture extension package.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of soil and water conservation practices on household vulnerability to food insecurity in eastern Ethiopia: endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching approach

et al. 2019

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Governmental and developmental partners invest substantial resources to reduce land and water degradation in order to upgrade agricultural productivity, thus reducing food insecurity and related vulnerability in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the impact of soil and water conservation on food insecurity outcomes would be a significant step toward improving environmental conditions, while ensuring sustainable and increased agricultural production. Therefore, this article analyzes the impact of adopting soil and water conservation on food insecurity and related vulnerability outcomes of farming households. A multi-stage stratified sampling procedure is used to identify a sample of 408 households from three districts in eastern Ethiopia. Vulnerability as expected poverty (three-step Feasible General Least Squares) is employed to analyze the vulnerability of sample households in the context of food insecurity. In addition, endogenous switching regressions with propensity score matching methods are combined to obtain consistent impact estimates. The study reveals that education and sex of household head, use of irrigation and fertilizer, source of information, and cultivated land are the main factors influencing the adoption of soil and water conservation. Moreover, adoption of soil and water conservation not only positively impacts the per capita food consumption expenditure and net crop value, it also significantly reduces the probability of farmers being food insecure, vulnerable to food insecurity, as well as transient and chronically food insecure. Therefore, policymakers and development organizations should consider soil and water conservation as a main strategy to reduce land degradation and improve the livelihoods of the rural farm households.

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Section: Endogenous Switching Regression Estimation Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of soil and water conservation practices on household vulnerability to food insecurity in eastern Ethiopia: endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching approach

et al. 2019

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“…According to Moeletsi et al [31], eastern, northern and south-eastern parts have a shorter growing period of less than 240 days as a result of early onset (mid-March) and late cessation (mid-October) of frost in these regions. Therefore, early and ultra-early cultivars are recommended in the eastern, northern and south-eastern parts of this province to reduce vulnerability to the frosts [21]. The climate in the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality is characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters [29].…”

Section: Study Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies across the African continent indicated that socio-economic factors, farm characteristics and agro-climatic zone characteristics were the main factors influencing adoption of SAPs by smallholder farmers [18][19][20][21]. Therefore, factors influencing adoption of SAPs varies with countries and regions as a result of differences in cultural and political ideologies, natural resources community access to education, adequate information on the technical details of the SAPs, extension services, credits and infrastructure [13,22,23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers Affecting Sustainable Agricultural Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Free State of South Africa

et al. 2019

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Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) are the most promising pathways to enhance the productivity and resilience of agricultural production of smallholder farming systems while conserving the natural resources. This study was undertaken to identify the barriers affecting sustainable agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers in the eastern Free State, South Africa. Data were collected from 359 smallholder farmers using questionnaires and the validity of the collected data was confirmed through focus group discussions with key informants. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to analyze data. Results indicated that traditional SAPs such as intercropping, mulching and crop rotation were more likely to be adopted by farmers with access to land yet without access to credit (and had low levels of education, although this finding was not significant). In contrast, new SAPs such as cover cropping, minimum-tillage, tied ridging and planting pits were more knowledge (education), capital and labor intensive. Therefore, extension strategies should take these differences into consideration when promoting both the adoption of traditional SAPs and new SAPs. Targeting resource-constrained farmers (in terms of access to credit and education) through raising awareness and building capacity is essential to ensure the adoption of traditional SAPs. In turn, promoting the adoption of new SAPs not only needs awareness raising and capacity building but also must fundamentally address resource constraints of South African smallholder farmers such as knowledge, capital and labor. It is recommended that government should provide resources and infrastructure to improve the quality and outreach of extension services through field demonstration trials and training.

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“…In the case of Rwanda and Sierra Leone 708 man-days/ha/yr is needed to construct BT in a 31% slope of the land. The maintenance material and labor costs of BTs are also too challenging [9,10,11].…”

Section: Background and Justificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance Evaluation of Constructed Bench Terraces in Southern Zone of Tigray Region

Tassew

Gidey

Eyasu

2019

AJEE

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In the varying climate and weather environments and fast-growing population, the production of feed that could meet the demand of this ever-growing population will be challenging with limited land, soil, and water resources. In many developing countries, terraces have been constructed in sloppy, hilly and valley areas to rectify their shortage of cultivated land and severe water erosion problems to meet livelihood demands. In the southern zone of Tigray region, various labor-intensive bench terraces (BTs) have been constructed and are on the way of construction. Despite its coverage and labor intensiveness, these terraces are facing problems such as malfunctioning and collapse of structures leading to unsustainability, unproductiveness and additional labor and material costs. Thus, this study was designed to identify the basis of the above-mentioned problems and to put real solutions for the problems. A multi-disciplinary evaluation of BTs from natural resources and socioeconomic researchers was conducted to identify observational gaps in the stability and sustainability of the terraces and to put ways forward. Technical assessment and measurement of BTs were conducted onsite to evaluate and compare the specification with the recommended specification. Inappropriate site selection, water scarcity, free-grazing and neglected maintenance, poor buffer zone, and stone placement were directly or indirectly major reasons for the failure of bench terrace (BT) structures. Most of the BTs were not supported with biological soil and water conservation materials. Site selection and technical standards of BTs should be done based on recommended specifications with continuous follow-up.

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Factors influencing the adoption of physical soil and water conservation practices in the Ethiopian highlands

Cited by 115 publications

References 18 publications

Impact of soil and water conservation practices on household vulnerability to food insecurity in eastern Ethiopia: endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching approach

Impact of soil and water conservation practices on household vulnerability to food insecurity in eastern Ethiopia: endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching approach

Barriers Affecting Sustainable Agricultural Productivity of Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Free State of South Africa

Performance Evaluation of Constructed Bench Terraces in Southern Zone of Tigray Region

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