A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Understanding Ugandan Farmers' Decision Process for Fertilizer Adoption Or Rejection

Download or read book A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Understanding Ugandan Farmers' Decision Process for Fertilizer Adoption Or Rejection written by Chandler Reid Mulvaney and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 684 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are projected to be the second breadbasket of the world, behind the United States (Chahed, 2018). With a rising global population increased food and fiber, production is imminent (FAO, 2015). Literature suggests that agricultural input (i.e. fertilizers) adoption will lead to an increase in agricultural production in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries (Barrett & Sheahan, 2017). As agricultural scientists and producers continue to search for methods to feed the growing global population, Uganda has been overlooked as a country with only 3.2% of its farming population having adopted mineral fertilizers (Barrett & Sheahan, 2017). With a limited understanding as to why farmers in Uganda have yet to adopt input innovations, there is a need to examine 1) What Ugandan farmers' experiences are regarding the adoption or rejection of mineral fertilizers and 2) How mineral fertilizers can be integrated into the Ugandan culture of social norms to increase adoption. phenomenological inquiry was employed to better understand the experiences and relationships among fertilizer use and farmers' perceived barriers. Thirty farmers were interviewed in Uganda following phenomenological research design. The data were analyzed by (give some details here). According to participants and the observations of the research team, the essence of using mineral fertilizers according to the Ugandan farmers was that of the endless ladder. Farmers are unable to use fertilizers due to a series of poverty traps caused by several factors including, 1) high costs to purchase the input, 2) inability to access fertilizers from the market, and, 3) a lack of knowledge and training regarding fertilizer application rates and timing. The essence of high-hanging fruit was used to inform recommendations for the establishment of an original model that outlines recommended interventions for in-country extension and outreach organizations such as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's), non-profits and the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) to facilitate the adoption of mineral fertilizers among Ugandan farmers.