Socioeconomic and Agroecological Determinants of Conserving Diversity On-farm: The Case of Rice Genetic Resources in Nepal

Abstract

Conservation of crop genetic resources presents a challenge of identifying specific determinantsdriving maintenance of diversity at farm and agroecosystems. The objectives of this study were toidentify socioeconomic, market and agroecological determinants of farmers’ maintenance of ricediversity at the household level and derive implications for policies in designing on-farmconservation programs. We assess spatial rice diversity at farm level using household surveydata. A household decision making model is conceptualised using microeconomic theory to assessand identify factors influencing on-farm rice diversity. The model is then tested econometrically byusing various factors affecting farmers’ variety choice and diversity decisions. The findings showthat household-specific socioeconomic, agroecological and market factors are important indetermining on-farm rice diversity. The significant variables in explaining richness and evenness ofrice diversity include distance to the nearest market, subsistence ratio, modern variety sold, landtypes and adult labour working in agriculture. The statistical signs of the factors determining ricediversity are consistent in explaining the richness, dominance and evenness among rice varieties.Finally, the study implies that the cost-effective means of promoting and sustaining on-farmconservation programmes is to target them in market isolated geographic locations of high cropdiversity where farm households have more heterogeneity of agroecological conditions and moreactive family adult labour working on-farm.Key words: Diversity indices; dominance; evenness; on-farm conservation; rice diversity; richnessDOI: 10.3126/narj.v6i0.3370Nepal Agriculture Research Journal Vol.6 2005 pp.49-5