1ACCA 03-2014
Understanding (non-)adoption
of CA: contributions from
Social Psychology
Freddy van Hulst
Helena Posthumus
Contents
• The role of adoption studies
Agricultural Capabilities
• Methodology
Reasoned action approach
• Results and discussion
CA in Kenya
The role of adoption studies
Tittonel et al. 2012
Agricultural capabilities
Understand farmers’ decisions
Agricultural capabilities
Realized farming system
Window of opportunities
CA or something else
Adopter
perception
Innovation
diffusion
Economic
constraints
Methodology
Social psychology
Outcome
Willing
beliefs
Reasoned action approach
•Ploughing
•Direct Planting
•Spraying Herbicides
•Shallow Weeding
Attitude
towards action
Social beliefs
Stimulated
Social norms
Control beliefs
Capable
Perceived
control
Intention
Actual control
Action
Methodology
...on your land, in the long rain season 2014:
(future) Intention
Very
unlikely
Possible
Very likely
Attitude
Very foolish
Neutral
Very wise
Important others think
I should
not plough
They have no
opinion
Important others plough Very few
Control: ploughing is
Very
difficult
Moderately
Average
I should
plough
Very
many
Very easy
Methodology
Crops
Maize /beans
Potatoes
Sample
4 FFS
(n=32)
FFS members
Non-FFS members
Non-FFS
(n=62)
Results and discussion
Direct Planting
-2
-1
Intention
Attitude
Injunctive Norm
Descriptive Norm
Perceived Control
FFS members
Non-FFS members
*** = p<0.001, * = p<0.05; ns = not significant.
0
1
2
***
***
*
ns
***
Results and discussion
Ploughing
-2
-1
Intention
1
Ploughing
-2
Attitude
Intention
Attitude
Injunctive Norm
Descriptive Norm
0
Injunctive Norm
Descriptive Norm
Perceived Control
Perceived Control
FFS members
Non-FFS members
*** = p<0.001, ** = p<0.01
-1
0
1
2
2
***
***
***
**
***
Results and discussion
• Weed control:
Attitude
Perceived
control
Spraying
Herbicides
FFS
++
++
Non-FFS
+/-
+
Shallow
weeding
FFS
++
++
Non-FFS
+/-
-
• Social norms:
– Neutral  social independence
– FFS members experience some group pressure
Conclusions
• Adoption of CA
Willingness, capability and social acceptance explain
intention of performing specific CA actions.
• Training and learning is key
It influences both perceived control and attitudes.
• Respect farmers’ social independence
• Link with actual adoption?
Thank you!
Understanding (non-)adoption
of CA: contributions from
Social Psychology
Freddy van Hulst
Helena Posthumus
FFS members
Non-FFS members
*** = p<0.001, ** = p<0.01, * = p<0.05; ns = not significant.
Literature
•
Social Psychology, the Reasoned Action Approach
Fishbein, Martin, and Icek Ajzen. 2010. Predicting and Changing Behavior; the Reasoned
Action Approach. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.
•
Targeting technology, and innovation systems:
Tittonell, Pablo, E. Scopel, N. Andrieu, H. Posthumus, P. Mapfumo, M. Corbeels, G.E.
van Halsema, et al. 2012. “Agroecology-based Aggradation-conservation Agriculture
(ABACO): Targeting Innovations to Combat Soil Degradation and Food Insecurity
in Semi-arid Africa.” Field Crops Research 132 (June): 168–174.
doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2011.12.011.