@article{UllahSaqibKaechele2022, author = {Ullah, Ayat and Saqib, Shahab E. and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Determinants of Farmers' Awareness and Adoption of Extension Recommended Wheat Varieties in the Rainfed Areas of Pakistan}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {14}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {6}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su14063194}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3496}, pages = {18}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Scientific evidence suggests that there is room for eradicating poverty and hunger by increasing food production through the adoption of modern agricultural practices by farmers. This study aimed, first, to explore the relationship between the farmers' awareness and adoption of improved wheat varieties. Second, it aimed to find the key factors that govern the farmers' awareness and adoption of extension-recommended innovations in the rainfed cropping system of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data were collected from 395 respondents. A binary logit model was used to analyze the effect of the farmers' socioeconomic and farm-specific characteristics on their awareness and adoption of the extension-suggested wheat varieties. Moreover, qualitative data from 40 key informants were collected for in-depth analysis. The results show a strong association between the farmers' awareness of a technology (improved wheat varieties) and its adoption. The results of the logit model show that their extension contacts, income from agriculture, and access to credit positively affected the farmers' awareness, whereas their education and household sizes negatively affected their awareness. Moreover, the factors that positively influenced the farmers' decision to adopt the technology included the extension contact, the confidence in the extension, the risk-bearing attitude, and the credit access, whereas the household size and education negatively affected it. The results of the key informant interviews reveal that the high incidence of poverty, the low soil fertility, the farmers' inability to make effective decisions, the lack of accurate weather predictability in the rainfed farming system, the lack of government interest, and the asymmetric information in the inputs markets contributed to the farmers' low levels of awareness and to their poor adoption of improved agricultural technologies. These results indicate that any intervention aimed at the awareness and adoption by farmers of improved technologies, such as new wheat varieties, should recognize the heterogeneity in the farmers' socioeconomic and farm-specific characteristics.}, language = {en} } @article{UllahMahmoodZebetal.2020, author = {Ullah, Ayat and Mahmood, Nasir and Zeb, Alam and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Factors Determining Farmers' Access to and Sources of Credit: Evidence from the Rain-Fed Zone of Pakistan}, series = {Agriculture}, volume = {10}, journal = {Agriculture}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2077-0472}, doi = {10.3390/agriculture10120586}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3419}, pages = {13}, year = {2020}, abstract = {This study investigates the factors that affect farmers' access to agricultural credit and its role in adopting improved agricultural technologies in the rain-fed zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Using logistic models, we assess and compare the relative role of farmers' socioeconomic attributes in their access to credit and adoption strategies. The results indicate a moderate positive association between farmers' access to agricultural credit and their adoption of improved agricultural technologies. The binary logit model's results indicate that farmers with a large-sized farm, high farm income, better access to information, and large physical asset ownership showed a positive influence on credit access. However, farming experience showed a negative effect on farmers' access to agricultural credit. Regarding farmers' credit sources, this study found that asset-rich farmers with more farming experience and better access to information relied more on banks than on input providers and informal credit sources. Similarly, older farmers with more education, larger farm sizes and high farm income were more likely to have borrowed from input providers than banks. We conclude that the role of the effective provision of information on credit and agricultural technology is imperative and requires separate policies that are specifically aimed at different groups of farmers with different socioeconomic and farm-related characteristics.}, language = {en} } @article{BilandZebUllahetal.2021, author = {Biland, Mazhar and Zeb, Alam and Ullah, Ayat and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Why Do Households Depend on the Forest for Income? Analysis of Factors Influencing Households' Decision-Making Behaviors}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {13}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {16}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su13169419}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3441}, pages = {17}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Using survey information of 150 randomly selected households across 21 villages of the forest-rich district of Swat, Pakistan, this study assessed households' decision-making behaviors in depending on income from nearby forested land using socio-economic attributes. The evidence from the study may aid in making the existing policies be better targeted toward families that depend on the forest for income. Descriptive statistics and econometric techniques such as logit and tobit were used to analyze the data. Respondent households obtained the highest share of their income from off-farm activities (37\%) and least from forest activities (16\%). Fuelwood constitutes the biggest share (66\%) of forest income, followed by medical plants (20\%) and fodder (13\%). We found that households with more physical assets, more family members working in off-farm jobs, and households earning more income from off-farm jobs were significantly and negatively associated with households' decision to depend on forest income and total income obtained. We also found that households with less distance to the market and membership to joint forest management committees (JFMCs) were significantly and negatively associated with households' total income obtained. However, household size was significantly and positively related to households' decision of forest dependency. The study recommends the creation of off-farm opportunities and inclusion of local people in the management of forests through establishment of JFMCs, particularly for large and poor families.}, language = {en} } @article{JhaKaecheleSieber2019, author = {Jha, Srijna and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Sieber, Stefan}, title = {Factors Influencing the Adoption of Water Conservation Technologies by Smallholder Farmer Households in Tanzania}, series = {Water}, volume = {11}, journal = {Water}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2073-4441}, doi = {10.3390/w11122640}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3320}, pages = {18}, year = {2019}, abstract = {In Tanzania, the increasing population coupled with climate change amplifies issues of food insecurity and negatively impacts the livelihoods of smallholder farmer households. To address these issues a range of water conservation techniques (WCTs) have been useful. However, the adoption of these WCTs in Tanzania has been limited due to many reasons. With the objective to better understand and identify the factors that significantly influence the adoption of WCTs in Tanzania, the study uses survey data from 701 smallholder farmer households and a bivariate logistic regression, to provide, for the first time, a comprehensive model for the adoption of WCTs in Tanzania that includes a range of individual, household, socio-economic, and farmer perception related variables (factors). The evaluation shows that 120 farmers (17.12\%) adopted WCTs and finds the farmer perceptions of rainfall instability, household wealth, and food security to be crucial. The results suggest that policy interventions should encourage conservation behavior (especially when the rainfall is perceived to be uncertain), emphasize the economic and food security-related benefits of adopting WCTs, include strategies that make adoption of WCTs attractive to female-led households, attempt to reach greater number of farmers via social networks and provide better access to public funds for farmers.}, language = {en} } @article{MahmoodArshadKaecheleetal.2020, author = {Mahmood, Nasir and Arshad, Muhammad and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Shahzad, Muhammad Faisal and Ullah, Ayat and Mueller, Klaus}, title = {Fatalism, Climate Resiliency Training and Farmers' Adaptation Responses: Implications for Sustainable Rainfed-Wheat Production in Pakistan}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {12}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {4}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su12041650}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3338}, pages = {21}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Climate change is a severe threat to the agricultural sector in general and to rainfed farming in particular. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that can potentially affect the adaptation process against climate change. This study focused on wheat farmers and farming systems in the rainfed agroecological zone of Pakistan. Farmers' data related to climate change fatalism, the availability of climate-specific extension services, socioeconomic and institutional variables, and farm characteristics were collected. A logit model to assess farmers' decisions to adopt an adaptation measure and a multinomial logit model to assess their choice of various adaptation measures were used. The results showed that fatalistic farmers were unlikely to implement climate change adaptation measures. The variables related to the climate-specific extension services, including farmers' participation in training on climate-resilient crop farming and the availability of mobile communication-based advisory services, had highly significant and positive impacts on farmers' decisions and their choice of adaptation measures. Input market access and tractor ownership also had positive and significant impacts on farmers' decisions to adapt and their choice of adaptation measures. This study highlights the need to improve rainfed-wheat farmers' education levels to change their fatalistic attitudes towards climate change. Furthermore, government action is needed to provide climate-specific extension services to ensure sustainable production levels that will ultimately lead to food and livelihood security under a changing climate.}, language = {en} } @article{JhaKaecheleLanaetal.2020, author = {Jha, Srijna and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Lana, Marcos and Amjath-Babu, T.S and Sieber, Stefan}, title = {Exploring Farmers' Perceptions of Agricultural Technologies: A Case Study from Tanzania}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {13}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {3}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su12030998}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3340}, pages = {21}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The low agricultural productivity of key crops and food insecurity continue to be key issues in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Tanzania. The growing population, depleting resources, and changing climate further amplify these issues. Globally, many agricultural technologies (AgTs) are available as pathways for improved agricultural productivity and food security, however, they have had relatively little success in SSA and Tanzania. This is because the uptake of AgTs is a complex process, which is highly localized, involving multiple actors, stages, and spatial and time dimensions. Smallholder farmers often experience issues of sustainability, constraints for adoption, and scaling-up throughout the uptake process of AgTs, all of which vary by region. This indicates a need for a systematic and simultaneous understanding of sustainability, constraints for adoption, and scaling-up of AgTs to better guide agricultural strategy and policy interventions in SSA and Tanzania. Moreover, in order to understand the local settings better, a consideration of the perceptions of the farmers themselves, who are the primary actors in the uptake process of AgTs, is key. Acknowledging this, the study takes on a case study approach, using the scaling-up assessment (ScalA) method and three focus group discussions with a total of 44 smallholder farmers to systematically and simultaneously assess the sustainability, constraints for adoption, and scaling-up of three AgTs (use of fertilizers, improved seeds, and small-scale irrigation) in Tanzania. The study finds that the farmers perceive all three AgTs to be sustainable for the study region. Adoption rates are perceived to be medium for use of fertilizers, high for improved seeds, and low for small-scale irrigation. The most significant constraints for adoption experienced by the farmers are lack of technical physical inputs, marketing facilities, and know-how. Scaling-up is perceived to be well fulfilled for use of fertilizers and improved seeds, but only partially fulfilled for small-scale irrigation, which is the most limited of the three AgTs. The most significant constraints for scaling-up experienced by farmers are a lack of confidence in the added value of the AgTs beyond project activities, marketing facilities, and technical physical inputs. The overall success potential is high for the use of fertilizers and improved seeds, and the average for small-scale irrigation. The farmers' perceptions partially indicate why the bundle of AgTs is lacking in the study region and provide a basis for discussing targeted agricultural and policy interventions in Tanzania.}, language = {en} } @article{JhaKaecheleSieber2021, author = {Jha, Srijna and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Sieber, Stefan}, title = {Factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry by smallholder farmer households in Tanzania: Case studies from Morogoro and Dodoma}, series = {Land Use Policy}, journal = {Land Use Policy}, number = {103}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {1873-5754}, doi = {10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105308}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7340}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The adoption of agricultural innovations is a critical adaptation mechanism for smallholder farmers to prepare and deal with potential shocks and uncertainty. Agroforestry is proven to be highly impactful at improving the adaptive capacity of farmers, the resilience of local farming systems and in providing diversified livelihood benefits. The adoption of agroforestry in Tanzania is generally uneven, with some successes and some failures and could be better supported. To do so, understanding the most significant factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry is key. Logistic regression (logit model) is used to analyse household survey data collected from 697 smallholder farmers. Results indicate that only 71 farmers (10.19 \%) report planting new trees and actively practicing agroforestry. Farmers who are part of a project, are able to rent land and have a source of seedlings are more likely to adopt agroforestry. When farmers perceive rainfall to be changing, their land rights to be only moderately secure and their right to plant trees to be dependent on obtaining permission from the land owner or family members, they are less likely to adopt agroforestry. If the farmer perceives the land to be relatively fertile and has the intention to improve or maintain the fertility of his plot in the future then the likelihood of adopting agroforestry increases. Policy interventions ought to promote the participation of farmers in agroforestry projects to facilitate knowledge and experience building. Policy interventions should provide a reliable source of agroforestry inputs, such as seedlings to ensure that the resource requirements for agroforestry are well fulfilled. Farmer perceptions of land and agroforestry rights must be emphasized, clarified and streamlined to facilitate better policies. Farmer perceptions related to rainfall and soil fertility highlight a lack of awareness concerning the soil and water conservation benefits of agroforestry. Therefore, these must be better addressed through improved education and extension services. Consideration of farmer perceptions is crucial for the adoption of agroforestry.}, language = {en} } @article{KhaliliArshadKaecheleetal.2021, author = {Khalili, Niloofar and Arshad, Muhammad and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Farajzadeh, Zakariya and M{\"u}ller, Klaus}, title = {Drought shocks and farm household consumption behaviour: Insights from Fars province of Iran}, series = {International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction}, journal = {International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction}, number = {66}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {2212-4209}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102625}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7359}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Drought is one of the most important shocks that has affected many farm households in rural Iran. This paper presents cross-sectional quantitative research with a micro-level analysis of the impacts of drought shocks on food and non-food expenditures of smallholders in rural Iran. Quantile regression model was applied to analyse the data obtained from 300 small farmers in the county of Marvdasht in Fars province, Iran. The results show that households who experience moderate and severe drought, apply a combination of different strategies, which are usually used to deal with idiosyncratic shocks and covariate shocks. A reduction in consumption expenditures is not the only and the first choice coping strategy but is one of the main strategies used by most drought-affected households. Our results further indicate that the non-food expenditures of smallholders in severe drought-affected villages are negatively affected by drought, however, food expenditures are not significantly affected. Non-food expenditures of households with overall lower consumption level were significantly affected. These findings point out the importance of the provision of compensation schemes for smallholders and the designing and implementation of coping mechanisms including non-agricultural job opportunities in drought-affected areas of Fars, Iran.}, language = {en} } @article{MehmoodArshadMahmoodetal.2021, author = {Mehmood, Yasir and Arshad, Muhammad and Mahmood, Nasir and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Kong, Rong}, title = {Occupational hazards, health costs, and pesticide handling practices among vegetable growers in Pakistan}, series = {Environmental Research}, journal = {Environmental Research}, number = {200}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {1096-0953}, doi = {10.1016/j.envres.2021.111340}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7366}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Disregarding protective measures when handling pesticides in agricultural production imposes increased health risks and health costs on farmers as well as degrades the natural ecosystem. In Pakistan, where agriculture is the prime occupation in rural communities, there is overwhelming evidence of indiscriminate use of hazardous pesticides by farmers without taking adequate precautions. Using cross-sectional data, we examined personal protection and health costs to vegetable growers due to pesticide exposure and determinants of farmers' pesticide handling practices. The theory of averting behavior was used, and the possible factors affecting farmers' adoption of safety equipment and of disposal methods for pesticide containers were estimated using a logit model. Health effects (P < 0.05) and farmers' protection and health costs (P < 0.01) are found as important determinants of farmers' adoption of safety equipment and of disposal methods for pesticide containers. The mean protection and health cost of pesticide exposure per farmer per vegetable season in 2019 was US \$3.60. Analytical outcomes indicate that safe and recommended pesticide handling practices are needed to be introduced through adequate integrated pest management (IPM) training programs and by improving farmers' formal education. Thus, creating awareness through IPM training programs among vegetable growers and enhancing formal education to encourage the adoption of precautionary measures and safe disposal methods for pesticide containers may reduce health risks and health costs. Findings imply that adoption of adequate pesticide handling practices would further help reduce occupational hazards and promote sustainable agriculture in Pakistan.}, language = {en} } @article{MahmoodArshadMehmoodetal.2021, author = {Mahmood, Nasir and Arshad, Muhammad and Mehmood, Yasir and Faisal Shahzad, Muhammad and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Farmers' perceptions and role of institutional arrangements in climate change adaptation: Insights from rainfed Pakistan}, series = {Climate Risk Management}, volume = {32}, journal = {Climate Risk Management}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {2212-0963}, doi = {10.1016/j.crm.2021.100288}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7375}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Rainfed farmers are among the most vulnerable farming communities to climate change in Pakistan because of the heavy reliance of crop farming on rain and of farmers' livelihoods on crop farming. The best and most timely responses against climate change are suitable adaptation measures. Accurately perceiving the risks associated with climate change is an essential factor for planning and then implementing adaptations. Using farm household-level data of 400 rainfed farmers collected through a well-designed and field-tested questionnaire, this study examines the association between various adaptation stages (climate risk perceptions, adaptation planning, and implementation of adaptation) and their determinants using a multivariate probit (MVP) model. The findings indicate that farmers' perceptions of climatic changes are in line with historical climatic data. Climate risk management (CRM) trainings and digital agriculture extension and communication (DAEC) services (indicators of formal institutional arrangements) show a highly significant impact on all adaptation stages. Input market distance, farmer cooperative meetings (an indicator of informal institutional arrangement), off-farm income, education, and number of male family members are among the other key determinants. A highly significant association between various adaptation stages indicates that accurate climate risk perceptions lead to planning and implementation of adaptations. When risk perceptions are underestimated or lacking, then adaptations do not occur. The results further indicate that the timely availability of reliable information on advanced agricultural inputs, weather parameters, crop farming advisory services, and market information could help rainfed farmers devise sound adaptations to minimize risks associated with climate change. The study recommends the provision of CRM trainings and DAEC services to provide a better understanding and promote sound adaptation planning through the adaptive capacity enhancement of rainfed farming communities for sustainable production and livelihood security.}, language = {en} }