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The technology adoption behavior of women farmers: The case of alley farming in Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

Elizabeth A. Ogunlana
Elizabeth A. Ogunlana*
Affiliation:
School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
*
*Corresponding author: elizabeth@ait.ac.th
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Abstract

The indigenous system of crop production in Nigeria, the bush fallow farming system, which is known for its stability and biological efficiency, can no longer be operated effectively, due to a shortage of land. In order to increase farm productivity, researchers have devised alley farming, a low-input farming system which sustains crop and livestock production, can reduce competition from weeds, and conserves soil by reducing soil physico-chemical degradation and the decline of soil organic matter. The mobilization of women to adopt agricultural innovations is an important topic in development studies. Due to the important role of Nigerian women farmers in crop and livestock production, they are encouraged to adopt alley farming. Contrary to some of the literature, which claims that women are slow innovation adopters, this study argues that women farmers easily adopt innovations that can enhance their economic status. The paper argues that the characteristics of alley farming influence women farmers‘ adoption or rejection of the farming system. It was observed that the land tenure system is not an inflexible constraint on alley farming adoption. It is argued that low participation of women in agricultural innovation adoption is caused by lack of information about the advantages of the innovations, because meetings are fixed at times when women are not able to attend. This paper points out that the adoption of alley farming has increased the agricultural production and the quality of life of women farmer adopters.

Keywords

alley farmingsustainable agricultural techniquesrural developmentadoption of agricultural innovationswomen farmersfactors affecting adoption
Type
Research Article
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 57 - 65
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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