Drivers and Constraints to the Adoption of Organic Leafy Vegetable Production in Nigeria: A Livelihood Approach

Jelili Adegboyega Adebiyi, Laura Schmitt Olabisi, Robert Richardson, Lenis Liverpool-Tasie and Kathleen Delate
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Jelili Adegboyega Adebiyi: Department of Community Sustainability and Environmental Science & Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Laura Schmitt Olabisi: Department of Community Sustainability and Environmental Science & Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Robert Richardson: Department of Community Sustainability and Environmental Science & Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Kathleen Delate: Departments of Agronomy and Horticulture, 106 Horticulture Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world, is plagued by livelihood challenges such as poverty and food insecurity, which are more pervasive among farming households and rural communities. Organic farming is being promoted by some domestic non-governmental organizations as a means of addressing the problem of poverty and food insecurity among farming households and rural communities in the country. Promoters consider organic farming to be well-suited to smallholder farmers’ socio-economic conditions in Nigeria, and that it can help improve their livelihood conditions through increased agricultural productivity and farm income. However, the adoption of the technology by smallholder farmers has been underwhelming, for reasons yet to be studied. Using a livelihood framework and through a case study of farmers in Ibadan, Oyo State, this study qualitatively explores and provides insights into the factors that influence, constrain, and gender the adoption of organic farming in Nigeria. Overall, it was found that a mix of factors, which include institutional considerations, farmers’ livelihood assets and vulnerability contexts, their livelihood activities, and gender-related variables shaped adoption decision-making. The policy implications of the findings were outlined.

Keywords: organic farming; adoption; non-adoption; livelihood framework; Africa; Nigeria; qualitative (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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