Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern Ghana

Reducing climate-related risks and uncertainties is crucial for the long-term survival of rain-fed smallholder rice farmers in northern Ghana. The study explored the role of psychosocial factors in the adoption and use of sustainable intensification practices to mitigate climate variability among sm...

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Main Authors: Yakubu Balma Issaka, Samuel A. Donkoh, Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Cogent Food & Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2345434
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author Yakubu Balma Issaka
Samuel A. Donkoh
Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic
author_facet Yakubu Balma Issaka
Samuel A. Donkoh
Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic
author_sort Yakubu Balma Issaka
collection DOAJ
description Reducing climate-related risks and uncertainties is crucial for the long-term survival of rain-fed smallholder rice farmers in northern Ghana. The study explored the role of psychosocial factors in the adoption and use of sustainable intensification practices to mitigate climate variability among smallholder farmers using the modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technologies and Structural Equation Modelling. Employing a mixed methods data were obtained from 240 smallholder rice farmers in the Savelugu municipality in the northern region. The results reveal that there is a strong association between behavioural intention and the number of SIPs adopted by a farmer, supporting the theory of reasoned action based on the assumption that behavioural intention predicts use behaviour contrary to suggestions that the influence of behavioural intention on use behaviour may not be particularly strong or predictable; Facilitating conditions had a direct and positive effect on the number of SIPs adopted by farmers and thus, use behaviour; Performance expectancy and farmers’ attitudes negatively affected behavioural intention while the effect of Social Influence and facilitating conditions on behavioural intension were positive. The results therefore, established the importance of performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and attitude as predictors of farmers’ intention to adopt SIPs. The study contributes new insights to the adoption literature by presenting empirical data on how frequently underappreciated non-economic factors affect farmers’ adoption decisions in a setting characterised by informal interactions and data quality restrictions.
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spelling doaj-art-e3b7969b81334b7497fed94d995640b22024-12-13T09:52:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Food & Agriculture2331-19322024-12-0110110.1080/23311932.2024.2345434Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern GhanaYakubu Balma Issaka0Samuel A. Donkoh1Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic2Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, GhanaDepartment of Economics, School of Applied Economics and Management Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, GhanaDepartment of Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, GhanaReducing climate-related risks and uncertainties is crucial for the long-term survival of rain-fed smallholder rice farmers in northern Ghana. The study explored the role of psychosocial factors in the adoption and use of sustainable intensification practices to mitigate climate variability among smallholder farmers using the modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technologies and Structural Equation Modelling. Employing a mixed methods data were obtained from 240 smallholder rice farmers in the Savelugu municipality in the northern region. The results reveal that there is a strong association between behavioural intention and the number of SIPs adopted by a farmer, supporting the theory of reasoned action based on the assumption that behavioural intention predicts use behaviour contrary to suggestions that the influence of behavioural intention on use behaviour may not be particularly strong or predictable; Facilitating conditions had a direct and positive effect on the number of SIPs adopted by farmers and thus, use behaviour; Performance expectancy and farmers’ attitudes negatively affected behavioural intention while the effect of Social Influence and facilitating conditions on behavioural intension were positive. The results therefore, established the importance of performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and attitude as predictors of farmers’ intention to adopt SIPs. The study contributes new insights to the adoption literature by presenting empirical data on how frequently underappreciated non-economic factors affect farmers’ adoption decisions in a setting characterised by informal interactions and data quality restrictions.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2345434Sustainable intensificationriceunified theory of acceptance and use of technologiesGhanaM. Luisa Escudero-Gilete, Nutrition and Bromatology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, SpainAgriculture
spellingShingle Yakubu Balma Issaka
Samuel A. Donkoh
Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic
Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern Ghana
Cogent Food & Agriculture
Sustainable intensification
rice
unified theory of acceptance and use of technologies
Ghana
M. Luisa Escudero-Gilete, Nutrition and Bromatology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Agriculture
title Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern Ghana
title_full Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern Ghana
title_fullStr Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern Ghana
title_short Psycho-social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in Northern Ghana
title_sort psycho social factors influencing the adoption of sustainable intensification practices by smallholder rice farmers in northern ghana
topic Sustainable intensification
rice
unified theory of acceptance and use of technologies
Ghana
M. Luisa Escudero-Gilete, Nutrition and Bromatology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Agriculture
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2345434
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