Abstract
This study analyzes the influence of livelihood assets on Ugandan farmers’ decisions to control Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), a disease that has threatened banana production and the livelihoods of Ugandan farmers since 2001. The BXW control strategy is based on the simultaneous implementation of four cultural practices: de-budding, infected plant removal, disinfecting tools, and using clean planting materials. The Sustainable Rural Livelihood (SRL) framework represents a very useful theoretical architecture for examining the interplay between livelihood systems of rural Ugandan households and the external context. Empirically, this study applies a double-hurdle model with the base assumption that the two adoption decision processes (whether to adopt and the intensity of adoption of the cultural practices) are separate. Results indicate that the vulnerability context and the human, social, natural, and physical capitals are the factors that drive farmers to adopt the identified strategy. Farmers’ decisions about the extent of adoption are instead negatively influenced by natural capital and positively associated with social capital. These findings highlight the importance of supporting the improvement of livelihood assets to enable tailored support to farmers. It is particularly important to support the social and natural capitals that facilitate information exchange and provide critical resources for the adoption of the BXW control strategy.
Highlights
As in other developing countries, banana production contributes significantly to the food security and household income of rural people in Uganda
The use of clean planting material is considered optional compared to the other practices recommended in the integrated Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) control package, because it is only required if the rural household decides to replant banana, Table 2 Adoption level of recommended practices to control the spread of the BXW as part of Ugandan banana-growing households’ livelihood strategy
This study contributes to the body of literature on crop disease and pest management by identifying the livelihood assets responsible for rural farmers’ adoption of measures that mitigate BXW in Uganda
Summary
As in other developing countries, banana production contributes significantly to the food security and household income of rural people in Uganda. It is estimated that 75% of Ugandan households grow the crop, while Ugandans’ per capita consumption of bananas is the highest in the world (Karamura 1993). The study by Tinzaara et al (2016) reported that the disease had continued to spread into disease-free areas, and to areas where BXW had previously been declared under control This could be due to the survival of latently infected planting materials (Ocimati et al 2013), the fact that the disease can rapidly increase to endemic levels (Nakakawa et al 2017), or due to banana-growing households lacking a clear understanding of the factors that impact the spread of the disease (Tinzaara et al 2016). Considering the vital role that banana production holds for the livelihoods of rural Ugandan people, it is crucial to bring BXW under control, or preferably eradicated
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