ADOPTION OF SOIL CONSERVATION THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTIONS IN SOUTHWESTERN UGANDA

In developing countries, access to and use of renewable natural resources are essential for rural livelihoods to thrive. Hence, cooperation in the management of natural resources is increasingly an important strategy that can enhance long-term socio-ecological resilience. In most cases, collective actions have widely been recognised as an alternative institutional arrangement to centralised governance for the management of natural resources, but their success largely depends on factors that are specific to localities where they are implemented. In this study, factors that influence adoption and extent of adoption of natural resource conservation activities were identified using two case studies: Bubaare and Bufundi Innovation Platforms in Uganda. The drivers of adoption of community natural resource management strategies are analysed using an Ordered Logit Model while extent of adoption is analysed using a truncated regression model. The education level of a household head, membership in collective action group, and perception of plot slope and relevance of bye-laws were factors associated with likelihood of adoption. Value of livestock, membership in collective action group, access to credit and off-farm income were found to positively influence the level of investment. Thus, collective action increases opportunities for adoption; hence farmers should be supported to work collectively.Dans les pays en voie de d\ue9veloppement, l\u2019acc\ue8s et l\u2019utilisation des ressources naturelles sont essentiels pour la suivie en mileu rural et pour y prosp\ue9rer. Ainsi, la coop\ue9ration dans la gestion des ressources naturelles est de plus en plus une strat\ue9gie importante qui peut am\ue9liorer \ue0 long terme la coh\ue9sion socio-\ue9cologique. Dans beaucoup de cas; les actions collectives ont \ue9t\ue9 largement reconnues comme une alternative d\u2019organisation institutionnelle pour centraliser la gouvernance de la gestion des ressources naturelles, mais leur succ\ue8s d\ue9pend largement des facteurs qui sont sp\ue9cifiques aux milieux o\uf9 elles sont mise en oeuvre. Dans cette \ue9tude, les facteus qui influencent l\u2019adoption et le degr\ue9 d\u2019adoption des activit\ue9s de conservation des ressources naturelles \ue9taient identifi\ue9s en utilisant deux cas d\u2019\ue9tude: Les Plate-formes d\u2019Innovation de Bubaare et Bufundi en Ouganda. Les forces motrices d\u2019adoption des strategies de gestion des ressources naturelles communautaires sont analys\ue9es en utilsant un mod\ue8le Logit Ordonn\ue9 tandis que le degr\ue9 d\u2019adoption est analys\ue9 en utilisant un mod\ue8le de r\ue9gression tronqu\ue9. Le niveau d\u2019\ue9ducation du chef de m\ue9nage, l\u2019appartenance au groupe d\u2019action collective, et la perception de la pente de la parcelle et limportance des arr\ueat\ue9s \ue9taient les facteurs associ\ue9s au taux d\u2019adoption. La value du b\ue9tail, l\u2019appartenance au groupe d\u2019action collective, l\u2019acc\ue8s au cr\ue9dit et le revenu non- agricole \ue9taient les facteurs qui influencent positivement le niveau d\u2019investissement. Donc, les actions collectives augmentent les opportunit\ue9s pour l\u2019adoption; ainsi les producteurs devraient \ueatre encourag\ue9s \ue0 travailler de fa\ue7con collective

Adoption of soil conservation through collective actions in Southwestern Uganda

In developing countries, access to and use of renewable natural resources are essential for rural livelihoods to thrive. Hence, cooperation in the management of natural resources is increasingly an important strategy that can enhance long-term socio-ecological resilience. In most cases, collective actions have widely been recognised as an alternative institutional arrangement to centralised governance for the management of natural resources, but their success largely depends on factors that are specific to localities where they are implemented. In this study, factors that influence adoption and extent of adoption of natural resource conservation activities were identified using two case studies: Bubaare and Bufundi Innovation Platforms in Uganda. The drivers of adoption of community natural resource management strategies are analysed using an Ordered Logit Model while extent of adoption is analysed using a truncated regression model. The education level of a household head, membership in collective action group, and perception of plot slope and relevance of bye-laws were factors associated with likelihood of adoption. Value of livestock, membership in collective action group, access to credit and off-farm income were found to positively influence the level of investment. Thus, collective action increases opportunities for adoption; hence farmers should be supported to work collectively