Dissemination pathways for agroforestry technologies : the case for improved fallows in Eastern Zambia

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Agroforestry researchers in Eastern Zambia have identified improved fallows as anintervention for soil fertility problems faced by small-scale farmers. In both on-stationand on-farm research experiments which have been conducted since 1989, results haveshown that improved fallows can mitigate soil degradation and eventually improve landproductivity. Both researchers and extensionists have since embarked on disseminatingthese fallows to the farming community. Researchers were initially entirely dependent onthe conventional agricultural extension services to disseminate the technology to thefarmers but the process was slow and so was the uptake for the technology by farmers.As researchers were anxious to see that farmers took up improved fallows in a fastestpossible way, they opted to use alternative dissemination pathways such as farmertrainers and local leaders.The purpose of this study was to investigate the three dissemination pathways anddetermine their effectiveness as regards improved fallows. This study assumed thatfarmers were not taking up improved fallows because they lacked knowledge of it, andalso that the lack of knowledge was exacerbated by the ineffective pathway used to reachthe farmers.The study was conducted in Chadiza, Chipata and Katete districts of Eastern Zambia.Data were collected using questionnaires in 28 villages across the three districts.Included in the sample were 296 small-scale farmers for whom this technology isintended. Additionally, 51 farmer trainers, 15 local leaders and 14 agricultural extensionofficers were interviewed as disseminators of this technology. Farmers were randomlysampled; local leaders were systematically sampled while a total enumeration was donefor farmer trainers and agricultural extension officers present at the time of theinterviews.This study found that 92% of the farmers were aware of the technology, with 68% havingonly known about it between 1998 and early 2000. This was the period when farmertrainers were already working. Farmer trainers were source of initial information to 41%of the farmers and yet they only started working recently. Although 92% of the farmershad heard about improved fallows, only 33% had ever planted some. Ten percent cf theentire population of farmers could be said to have adopted improved fallows because theyhave planted more than one fallow. Lack of knowledge is therefore not the only reasonthat farmers were not taking up improved fallows.Farmer trainers were found to currently be a more effective dissemination pathway asthey were able to reach more farmers even in areas where agricultural extension officershad not been before. Local leaders have not been involved with disseminating improvedfallows. Agricultural extension officers were hampered by lack of resources but werestill trying to assist farmers with resource assistance from external institutions such asNGOs. The findings point to a need for participatory extension approaches as well asparticipatory monitoring and evaluation systems.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University