Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
Volume 11, Issue 3, Pages 282-295Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/14735903.2013.811858
Keywords
Africa; compost; land ownership; Ordered Logit Model; soil input; urban agriculture
Funding
- African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD)
- French Embassy in Cameroon
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The increased importance of urban agriculture in developing countries suggests reconsidering some innovation adoption opportunities and challenges, particularly soil fertility inputs. In sub-Saharan Africa, urban horticulture uses a high level of soil inputs like inorganic fertilizers, while local composts are far less common. Yet, municipal solid wastes provide high quantity of organic matter, a major component of compost. Our study aimed to determine if urban horticulture in sub-Saharan towns can provide incentives for compost adoption among farmers. To this end, we surveyed 242 farmers in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon in the Central Province, and in Bafoussam, a city in the West Province. We used an Ordered Logit Model to test four soil input modalities adopted by farmers and ranging from no soil inputs, composts only, composts and inorganic fertilizers, and inorganic fertilizers only. Our results revealed that 36% of farmers adopt an exclusive or mixed use of compost. Inorganic fertilizer expenditures, vegetable production, land ownership, and land distance simultaneously and significantly influence the four soil input alternatives. Urban horticulture provides the prerequisites for compost adoption in sub-Saharan Africa. We suggest several recommendations for implementation of a waste recycling commodity chain dedicated to agriculture.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available