Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Adoption of Energy– Saving Technologies among Smallholder Farmers: The Case of West Pokot County, Kenya

Fuel wood provides the main source of energy for cooking and space heating for over 80 percent of households living in Kenya. The heavy reliance on the biomass energy has exerted an imbalance in demand and supply consequently resulting in adverse environmental effects in Kenya. As part of innovation efforts, several energy-conserving technologies have been developed. A unique cook stove named Maendeleo was developed and promoted in Kenya and more so, West Pokot County, northern of Kenya, with the goal of reducing the quantity of wood households use for energy, and ultimately reduce pressure on local forests. However, despite the demonstrated technological multiple benefits and the institutional promotional efforts of the Maendeleo stove technology; the adoption level of this innovation has remained low. An important question investigated in this study was what makes potential users not utilize such valuable innovations? Socio-cultural, economic, political and institutional barriers are considered to contribute to low uptake of such innovations. This study therefore, sought to assess socio- economic factors influencing the adoption of the Maendeleo stove in the rural setting of Kapenguria Division. A survey research methodology with ex-post facto design was employed. The results showed that the age of the respondents had the highest influence on the non-adoption of the Maendeleo stove. Given the relatively low adoption level of Maendeleo stove in the county, and the projected increase in the number of people relying on biomass, this study recommends that the government and development partners put in place a programme for the promotion and dissemination of Maendeleo stove. There should be further investigation into the adoption behaviour of the respondents on the reasons for non-adoption and discontinuance of use of the Maendeleo stove

Influence of socio-economic factors on adoption of maize related technology : the case of smallholder farmers in Hamisi division, Kenya

Although new technologies continue to be developed for the farming community in low income countries, relatively few are ever adopted. This study uses the results of a survey among 145 farmers in Kenya to determine the extent to which they had adopted high yielding varieties (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides as envisaged in the "Green Revolution" and identify the reasons for adoption and non-adoption. The study analyses some of the socio-economic factors influencing the acceptance of these technologies and progresses to outline some of the constraints limiting the adoption process. Relationships between adoption of HYV and awareness of technology, farmers' level of income, level of education and information seeking tendency were significant, as were adoption of pesticide and information seeking tendency, and adoption of chemical fertilisers in relation to both use of hired labour and frequency of attendance at meetings on financial matters. This implies that there is an increased probability of farmers adopting innovations when they are aware of the existence of technology that is appropriate, have higher levels of income and education, have higher propensity to seek for information, hire labour to assist in carrying out farm activities and regularly attend meetings on financial issues. Various constraints which act as deterrents to increased adoption of improved technologies included costly inputs, lack of credit, lack of pertinent information and knowledge about farm inputs, non-availability of inputs, unfavourable attitudes towards some technologies, and lack of resources. A change in extension and research strategy is emphasised towards one recognising smallholder farmers as equally deserving as large commercial farmers as clients for extension and marketing services, and being part of the research process to facilitate technology transfer

Fighting Hunger Together: A Case of Women Farmers’ Participation in Women Groups in Mwala Division, Kenya

Food security remains a major challenge for most rural households in Kenya especially those in arid and semi arid areas. Women play a crucial role as primary food producers and custodians of household food security. They however face many constraints in their endeavor to secure food for their households. Women, lack access to extension education, land and credit and these challenges are exacerbated by effects of climatic variability, especially drought. In response to the difficulties facing them, women in Mwala have formed organizations (women groups) as safety-nets to help them face these challenges collectively rather than as individuals. This study research was designed to investigate how women’s participation in the groups influences them to overcome constraints related to their household food security. The study used a cross sectional survey design. A sample of 156 respondents was selected through simple random sampling, with 94 women farmers being group members and 62 non group members. Ten key informants were purposively sampled from group leaders of the most active women groups influenced in agricultural activities to participate in a focus group discussion. The data was analysed using SPSS package version 17 and presented using frequencies, percentages, multiple regression, and Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient. The study revealed that household food security is significantly and positively influenced by participation of women farmers in women groups (F = 9.980, p < 0.001), that the level of intensity of participation in group activities did not significantly influence household food security (x2 =.112) and that linking with outside agencies was positively and significantly correlated to group performance measured in terms of benefits availed to the members through their groups

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Adoption of Energy– Saving Technologies among Smallholder Farmers: The Case of West Pokot County, Kenya

Fuel wood provides the main source of energy for cooking and space heating for over 80 percent of households living in Kenya. The heavy reliance on the biomass energy has exerted an imbalance in demand and supply consequently resulting in adverse environmental effects in Kenya. As part of innovation efforts, several energy-conserving technologies have been developed. A unique cook stove named Maendeleo was developed and promoted in Kenya and more so, West Pokot County, northern of Kenya, with the goal of reducing the quantity of wood households use for energy, and ultimately reduce pressure on local forests. However, despite the demonstrated technological multiple benefits and the institutional promotional efforts of the Maendeleo stove technology; the adoption level of this innovation has remained low. An important question investigated in this study was what makes potential users not utilize such valuable innovations? Socio-cultural, economic, political and institutional barriers are considered to contribute to low uptake of such innovations. This study therefore, sought to assess socio- economic factors influencing the adoption of the Maendeleo stove in the rural setting of Kapenguria Division. A survey research methodology with ex-post facto design was employed. The results showed that the age of the respondents had the highest influence on the non-adoption of the Maendeleo stove. Given the relatively low adoption level of Maendeleo stove in the county, and the projected increase in the number of people relying on biomass, this study recommends that the government and development partners put in place a programme for the promotion and dissemination of Maendeleo stove. There should be further investigation into the adoption behaviour of the respondents on the reasons for non-adoption and discontinuance of use of the Maendeleo stove

Determining smallholder farmers’ preferences for Push-Pull technology dissemination pathways in western Kenya

The push-pull technology (PPT) has widely been disseminated to control stemborer (Chilo partellus and Busseola fusca) and Striga weeds (Striga hermonthica and Striga asiatica) in maize fields in Kenya. This study examined farmers’ preferences for various dissemination pathways in order to proffer better targeting of resources in an optimal dissemination strategy. The pathways considered were public meetings (barazas), radio, farmer field schools (FFS), field days (FD), farmer teachers (FT), the fellow farmers (FF) and print materials. Using a weighted score index and ordered probit regression, the different pathways were sequentially ranked as FD, FT, FFS, FF, print materials, Radio, and barazas. Marginal effects from ordered probit showed that farmers had the least preferences for baraza and radio pathways. The farmer categories with the highest preference for particular pathways were: less educated farmers for FD, farmers with small land sizes for FT, farmers belonging to groups for FFS, and young educated farmers for the print materials. This information is extremely important for targeting the different segments of farmers

Classification and influence of agricultural information on striga and stemborer control in Suba and Vihiga Districts, Kenya

This paper reports on findings of a study to examine the sources used by farmers in search of agricultural information on striga and/or stemborers control technologies and factors that influence acquisition of such information in Western Kenya region. A random sample of 476 households in Suba and Vihiga districts were interviewed and 15 information pathways were identified. Using principle component analysis (PCA) to derive few latent variables that encapsulate maximum variance in the pathways, two components (latent variables) proxying for ‘agricultural knowledge’ were extracted. Type I-knowledge (first component) loaded heavily with sources that had ‘group’ information searching. Type II-knowledge (second component) loaded heavily with sources requiring individual farmer search. Both types of knowledge positively and significantly influenced the likelihood of households using improved technology to control stemborer, while only Type-II knowledge and social economic factors were important in influencing the farmers’ likelihood of using an improved technology to control striga. This study shows that information is an important factor in the households’ likelihood of using improved technologies in the control of striga and stem borer in Vihiga and Suba, Kenya. Methods of individual interaction are important to striga control

The Effectiveness of Dissemination Pathways on Adoption of “Push-Pull” Technology in Western Kenya

Push-pull technology (PPT) is currently and widely promoted as a control measure for stemborers, Striga weed and soil fertility improvement in maize fields in western Kenya in order to improve on cereal production. Since it is a new and relatively knowledge-intensive technology, access information about its efficacy is critical for maximum adoption and continued use. Given that different technologies may need different pathways for adoption, this study sought to identify the most effective dissemination pathway(s) for scaling up the technology among many farmers. A two limit Tobit regression was used to analyze data from 491 respondents randomly selected from four districts in western Kenya. The results indicated that chronologically field days (FD), farmer field schools (FFS) and farmer teachers (FT), had the greatest impact on the probability that a farmer in the study area would adopt PPT and at enhanced intensity of adoption. Efforts to disseminate PPT should therefore target the use of demonstrations through field days to intensify adoption. FT and FFS where appropriate can be used as alternative pathways to reinforce extension messages