Influence of Smallholder Farmers’ Socio-economic Characteristics on and Perceived Benefits of Organic Agriculture Farming
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Date
2022-12-30
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Abstract
The decision to adopt an agricultural technology is categorized into characteristics specific to farmers and
their households and socio-economic factors. The difference in factors influencing the smallholder farmers'
adoption of Organic Farming (OF) practices varies across the world. Thus, this paper investigates the
influence of smallholder farmers' socio-economic characteristics on the adoption of OF in Kisii Central, Kisii
County. The study adopted mixed-method research that involved a household survey and key
informants. The results indicate that the major socio-economic characteristics influencing smallholder
farmers’ adoption of organic farming were farm size (79%), income (73%), family size (67%), and age
(66%). In addition, there is a positive correlation between education and the use of crop residues (r=0.113),
animal manure (r=0.114), and cover crop (r=0.121). The study recommends that promoters of OF consider
specific socio-economic characteristics of the farmers in adopting OF.
Description
Keywords
Smallholder farmers, socio-economic characteristics, organic agriculture