Farmers’ Intentions Toward Sustained Agroforestry Adoption: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

ABSTRACT Adoption of agroforestry, which is a combination of growing perennial trees along with crops and/or livestock in spatial and temporal arrangements, is recommended for improving the livelihoods of smallholders. Alike several other technologies, the adoption status of agroforestry innovations in sub-Saharan Africa is considered poor. Studies have shown that plethora of biophysical and socioeconomic variables affect adoption of agroforestry innovations. In these studies, the contribution of psychological variables determining the voluntary decision-making on agroforestry adoption decisions is often neglected and marginally explored. This paper aims at exploring the role of psychological variables for the sustained agroforestry adoption intention. We employed the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict sustained agroforestry adoption intentions of 327 farmers in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Intention for sustained agroforestry woodlots adoption is assessed by employing the confirmatory factor analysis. Farmers’ intention to sustain adoption of agroforestry woodlot innovations is principally driven by their positive evaluation of the cash and livelihood benefits of the innovations (attitude) compared to traditional farming, their own capability to produce the innovations and accessibility of resources (perceived behavioral control), and the farmers’ perception of pressure and expectations from experts and important others (subjective norms). By employing TPB, this study brings a theoretical contribution to the TPB framework and measurement guidelines, unveils limitations of applying confirmatory factor analysis in a ‘new’ (woodlots) context and suggests data-based policy and development implications.