Influence of socio-economic and cultural factors in rice varietal diversity management on-farm in Nepal

Ram Rana (), Chris Garforth, Bhuwon Sthapit and Devra Jarvis

Agriculture and Human Values, 2007, vol. 24, issue 4, 472 pages

Abstract: A questionnaire survey of 408 households explored the role of socio-economic and cultural factors in rice (Oryza sativa L.) varietal diversity management on-farm in two contrasting eco-sites in Nepal. Multiple regression outputs suggest that number of parcels of land, livestock number, number of rice ecosystems, agro-ecology (altitude), and use of chemical fertilizer have a significant positive influence on landrace diversity on-farm, while membership in farmers’ groups linked to extension services has significant but negative influence on landrace diversity. Factors with significant positive influence on diversity of modern varieties on-farm were number of parcels of land and of rice ecosystems, access to irrigation, membership in farmers’ groups, and use of insecticide. Within communities, resource-endowed households maintain significantly higher varietal diversity on-farm than resource-poor households and play a significant role in conserving landraces that are vulnerable to genetic erosion and those with socio-cultural and market-preferred traits. Resource-poor households also contribute to local diversity conservation but at lower richness and area coverage levels than resource-endowed households. Households where a female had assumed the role of head of household due to death or migrant work of her husband had less diversity due to lower labor availability. Landraces with socio-cultural and market-preferred traits are few in number but have potential to be conserved on-farm. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

Keywords: Agricultural biodiversity; Landraces; Modern variety; Nepal; On-farm conservation; Rice; Varietal diversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.1007/s10460-007-9082-0

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