Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Factors affecting the adoption of agroforestry practices by farmers in Cameroon

  • Published:
Small-scale Forest Economics, Management and Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents empirical evidence on the impact of socio-economic factors on the adoption of agroforestry practices in Cameroon. The analysis uses primary farm-level data collected from June to December 1996. Three major provinces of the country were covered, namely Centre, Southwest and Northwest Several agroforestry technologies have been promoted among farmers in the zone, including alley farming, improved fallow, live fencing, cut-and-carry fodder and apiculture. The status of adoption of each agroforestry practice is described and factors that affect adoption identified. These are gender of farmer, household family size, level of education, farmer’s experience, membership within farmers’ associations, contact with research and extension, security of land tenure, agroecological zone, distance of the village from nearest town, village accessibility and income from livestock. Research findings indicate that since factors affecting farmers’ adoption of agroforestry practices differ across techniques, generalisation is to be avoided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adesina, A., Mbila, D., Nkamleu, B. and Endamana, D. (2000), ‘Econometric analysis of the determinants of adoption of alley farming by farmers in the forest zone of Southwest Cameroon’, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 80(3): 255–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alavalapati, J.R., Luckert, M.K. and Gill, D.S. (1995), ‘Adoption of agroforestry practices: a case study from Andhra Pradesh, India’, Agroforestry Systems, 32(1): 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chow, G.C. (1983), Econometrics, 3rd Printing, Mc Graw-Hill, Singapore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, J.S. (1991), The Logit Model: an Introduction for Economists, Edward Arnold, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franzel, S. and Scherr, S.J. (eds) (2002), Trees on the farm: assessing the adoption potential of agroforestry practices in Africa, CABI Publishing, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gockowski, J., Nkamleu, G.B. and Wendt, J. (2000), ‘Implications of resource-use intensification for the environment and sustainable technology systems in the Central African Fainforest’, Chapter 11 in D.R. Lee and C.B. Barrett (eds), Tradeoffs or Synergies?: Agricultural Intensification, Economic Development, and the Environment, CAB International, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gourieroux, C. (1989), Econométrie des Variables Qualitatives, 2nd edn, Economica, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, W. (1992), LIMDEP Version 6.0 User’s Manual and Reference Guide, Econometric Software Incorporated, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hailu, Z. (1990), The Adoption of Modern Farm Practices in African Agriculture: Empirical Evidence about the Impacts of Household Characteristics and Input Supply Systems in the Northern Region of Ghana, Verlag Josef Margraf Publisher, Weikersheim, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazell, P. (1995), Managing Agricultural Intensification, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang, B.T., Hauser, S., Vanlauwe, B., Sanginga, N. and Attah-Krah, A.N. (1995), ‘Alley farming research on high status soils’, in B.T. Kang, A.O. Osiname and A. Larbi (eds), ‘Alley Farming Research and Development’, Proceedings of an International Conference on Alley Farming, 14–18 September 1992, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kebede, Y., Gunjal, K. and Coffin, G. (1990), ‘Adoption of new technologies in Ethiopian agriculture: the case of Tegulet-Bulga district, Shoa Province’, Agricultural Economics, 4(1): 27–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercer, D.E. (2004), ‘Adoption of agroforestry innovations in the tropics: a review’, Agroforestry Systems, 61(1): 311–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nkamleu, G.B. (1999a), ‘La pratique de la jachère en Afrique de l’Ouest: caractérisation comparée du phénomène au Nigeria et au Cameroun’, Revue science et changements planétaires, Secheresse, 2(10): 88–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nkamleu, G.B. (1999b), ‘Etat des lieux de l’agroforesterie au Cameroun: cas des provinces du centre, du sud-Ouest, et du nord-ouest’, Revue science et changements planétaires, Secheresse, 3(10): 165–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nkamleu, G.B. and Coulibaly, O. (2000), ‘Les déterminants du choix des méthodes de luttes contre les pestes dans les plantations de cacao et café du sud-Cameroun’, Revue Economie Rurale, 259: 75–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nkamleu, G.B. and Adesina, A.A. (2000), ‘Determinant of chemical input use in peri-urban lowland systems: bivariate probit analysis in Cameroon’, Agricultural Systems, 63(2): 111–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otsuka, K., (1998), ‘Land tenure and the management of land and trees: A comparative study of Asia and Africa’, paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association, 31 July – 1 August 1998, Salt Lake City.

  • Pattanayak, S.K., Mercer, D.E., Sills, E.O., Yang, J. and Cassingham, K. (2003), ‘Taking stock of agroforestry adoption studies’, Agroforestry Systems, 57(3): 173–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez, P., Bashir, J., Niang, A.I. and Cheryl, A. (1998), ‘Soil fertility, small-farm intensification and the environment in Africa’, paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association, 31 July – 1 August, 1998, Salt Lake City.

  • Spencer, D.S.C. (1986), ‘La recherche agricole: leçons du passé, stratégies du futur’, in R.J. Berg and J.S. Whitaker (eds), Stratégies pour un Nouveau Développement en Afrique, Nouveaux Horizons, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swinkels, R.A. and Scherr, S.J. (1991), Economic Analysis of Agroforestry Technologies: An Annotated Bibliography, International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (1995), Towards Environmentally Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: a World Bank Agenda, Report No. 15111-AFR, World Bank, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nkamleu, G.B., Manyong, V.M. Factors affecting the adoption of agroforestry practices by farmers in Cameroon. Small-scale Forestry 4, 135–148 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-005-0009-6

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-005-0009-6

Keywords

Navigation