Determinants of adoption of agri-environmental practices by maize producers organised in cooperatives in the Centre region of Cameroon

Abstract

In response to various environmental problems facing the intensive mode of agricultural production, this study analysed the factors influencing the adoption of agri-environmental practices by maize producers organised in co-operatives in the Centre region of Cameroon by using the case study of PIDMA project. For this reason, the survey was undertaken in all the 15 villages grouping maize producers in two out of the four cooperatives under the regional coordinating unit of the project (PIDMA). Data on the socio-economic situation of producers, level of knowledge and applicability of environmental practices were gathered in the study area from 50 out of 88 (i.e. 56.8%) active maize producers. The descriptive field results revealed that the adoption of agri-environmental practices was related to social, psychological and economic characteristics of producers. The binary logit model results indicated that the adoption of agri-environmental practices was associated with the frequency of PIDMA agricultural training and cultivated area under maize. However, certain variables such as gender, age, education level, marital status, cost of implementing practice, lack of funding, labour type, time spent for the implementation of the practice, income source, technical and professional support did not seem to be associated with the adoption of agri-environmental practices. In conclusion, the study recommended to the maize farmers, the setting up of working groups of at least 10 maize producers in order to practice rotations in the fields of each member of the group. The study also recommended the agricultural development projects to define and provide relatively simple mechanisms to enhance farmers’ performance such as financial assistance, demonstration workshops in the fields and to allocate environmental assistants to each co-operative’s headquarters.