Socioeconomic Determinants of Adoption of Eco-Friendly Farming Practices in Agroecosystems of Embu County, Kenya
Abstract
A close relationship exists between the environment and agriculture. A change in either of them invariably affects the other. That is why environmentalists, the government and the non-governmental organisations have supported the development and adoption of Eco-friendly Farming Practices (EFFPs) by farming households. Earlier studies had indicated that adoption of EFFPs was low in some areas while other regions of Kenya and Embu County had successfully adopted these practices. However, even where there was a successful adoption of EFFPs, the type and number of EFFPs varied greatly. These inconsistencies in the type of EFFPs and the adoption of EFFPs necessitated this study. Therefore, this study carried out in Embu County sought to find out the influence of socioeconomic factors on the adoption of the EFFPs. Ex post facto research design was used in the study. Through multi-stage random sampling, 402 household heads were selected and all the 32 extension officers in the area were interviewed. Household head questionnaires, interview schedule and observation schedule were used for data collection. These research instruments were piloted, validated and their reliability established before data collection. Data was cleaned and entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 for analysis. Frequencies, Chi-square and regression model were used for analysis. Average income from agriculture, gender, farming experience, level of education, size of the farm and age were statistically significant (p<0.05) in influencing the adoption of EFFPs among households of Embu County. The study concluded that the socioeconomic factors were significant in influencing the adoption of EFFPs among households of Embu County. This implies that the household socioeconomic characteristics must be considered in designing effective environmental programmes in the County.
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