Abandonment of Conservation Agriculture by Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe

Tarisayi Pedzisa,Kizito Mazvimavi,Kathy Baylis,Lovemore Rugube,Alex Winter-Nelson

doi:10.5539/jsd.v8n1p69

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of abandonment of conservation agriculture (CA) techniques among smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. The analysis uses four rounds of a balanced panel from a survey aimed at monitoring CA adoption among farmers who participated in CA promotion projects. Findings indicate that a large share of farmers who had adopted CA during the period of active promotion eventually abandoned the practice in the absence of support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Households with more farming experience, bigger household sizes and a greater number of cultivated plots were less likely to stop using CA. In turn, wealthy households and farmers in the drier areas were more likely to stop using CA. The finding that persistent adoption is more prevalent among the poor, supports claims that CA is a pro-poor technology. Lastly, we find a strong, negative and robust relationship between continued NGO support and abandonment of CA. This finding suggests that improved support institutions are necessary to ensure that farmers continue to use CA as a productivity-boosting and sustainable farming method.

Highlights

Following repeated bouts of severe food insecurity in Africa, several development agencies prescribed conservation agriculture (CA) as a promising response to declining yields that was suitable for drought prone communities (Hobbs, 2007; Shaxson, 2006)
This paper examines the determinants of abandonment of conservation agriculture (CA) techniques among smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe
This paper contributes to the literature on agricultural technology adoption generally, and on CA adoption in the context of Zimbabwe

Summary

Introduction

Following repeated bouts of severe food insecurity in Africa, several development agencies prescribed conservation agriculture (CA) as a promising response to declining yields that was suitable for drought prone communities (Hobbs, 2007; Shaxson, 2006). CA rests on the three interlinked principles of minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation (FAO, 2013). Proponents of CA have emphasized its potential to provide resilience against drought and sustainably increase crop productivity (FAO, 2001). The emphasis on digging basins is central to the definition of CA among smallholders in Zimbabwe because it facilitates increased soil moisture, concentrates soil nutrients and minimizes the need for tillage reducing erosion from soil disturbance. Because soils in much of Zimbabwe are badly depleted, basin tillage is usually combined with use of chemical fertilizers to achieve productivity improvement. Though CA is generally purported to address the problem of intensive labor requirements in smallholder agriculture (Giller, Witter, Corbeels & Titttonell, 2009), basin-tillage CA requires high labor input during land preparation and weeding. By allowing land preparation ahead of the onset of rains, CA does relieve a labor bottleneck at planting time

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