How farmers’ characteristics influence spontaneous spreading of stone bunds in the highlands of Ethiopia: a case study in the Girar Jarso woreda

Abstract

This study aims to identify key differences between farmers who spontaneously implement stone bunds (i.e. farmers implementing stone bunds by their own initiative) and farmers who do not. Data were collected in the Girar Jarso woreda in the central highlands of Ethiopia, through a household survey with 80 farmers: 40 with spontaneously implemented stone bunds and 40 without. Independent samples t test, principal component analysis and regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Results show that five key-factors explain differences between the two groups of farmers: (1) readiness to change, (2) available resources, (3) social capital, (4) type of family, and (5) commitment. These factors together explain 73% of the variance in the data set and show that particularly characteristics related to the farmer's intrinsic motivation play a crucial role to spontaneously implement and integrate stone bunds into the farming system. Furthermore, results show that young farmers are most committed to soil conservation: they are often intrinsically motivated dynamic farmers who are ready to change their future and improve productivity and food security. The study suggests that government extension programmes should therefore focus more on these young and dynamic farmers and foster their readiness to change. This implies that extension workers and government officials should better understand the crucial role of farmers' intrinsic motivation when dealing with sustainable land management, and also reformulate extension strategies and messages. This is particularly important when developing a scaling-up strategy that helps to sustainably increase agricultural production and achieve food security of small-holder farmers in Ethiopia.

Exploring the scaling-up of sustainable land management in the Central highlands of Ethiopia

“…Moreover, compared with the NSF, SF are farmers with better knowledge as well as experience in IFM. This was also observed in a previous study that showed that spontaneously implemented stone bunds were more integrated with compost and manure use to produce high yields and sufficient crop residues for livestock feeds (Abi et al, 2018b). Results also indicate that SF have a better farm planning and more positive future prospects to change and to make improvements in their household food security and living condition, and therefore have a longer planning horizon than the NSF.…”

“…Work motivation is directly related to the perception that farmers have on implemented stone bunds. Results also show that SF have a more positive perception of stone bunds than the NSF, which is of course due to the experienced positive effects of stone bunds on soil erosion, soil productivity and crop yields (Abi et al, 2018b). Not surprisingly, results also show that SF have a better sense of ownership and responsibility to protect and maintain implemented stone bunds than NSF.…”

“…Similarly, purposive sampling was used to select the study farmers. A household survey was conducted on 80 farmers to investigate the process of spontaneous spreading of stone bunds in these watersheds (see Abi et al, 2018b). Of these 80 farmers, 40 are Spontaneous Farmers (SF) and 40 are Non-Spontaneous Farmers (NSF).…”

“…However, in a study conducted in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia, Abi et al (2018b) found that some SLM measures, particularly stone bunds, were spontaneously implemented on some farmlands. Farmers doing this used their own family labor and knowledge, which was often obtained during their participation in the governmental mass mobilization campaigns.…”

“…This study investigates farmers' characteristics, particularly those factors that drive individual farmers to spontaneously implement stone bunds integrated with other measures in the Girar Jarso woreda. In this woreda, we previously conducted research on the characteristics of spontaneous stone bunds (Abi et al, 2018b), and analyzed the location of farmlands, stone bunds usages and their effects to contribute to understand where and why the stone bunds spread spontaneously. The present study aims to identify the characteristics of spontaneous farmers, by whom stone bunds spread spontaneously, compared to non-spontaneous farmers to fill the gap.…”