Title: Factors affecting the adoption of compost use by small farmers in Angola: the case of Benguela province

Authors: José Rosário; Mário Quintas; Vasco Chiteculo; João Santos Velho; Simão Muhepe; Benedito Morais; Neemias Sapanga

Addresses: Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000 – 801, Vila Real, Portugal; Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics, University of Évora, 7000-809 Evora, Portugal; Department of Economics of Faculty of Economics, University Katyavala Bwila, Benguela, Angola ' Department of Economics of Faculty of Economics, University Katyavala Bwila, Benguela, Angola ' Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS), 165 21 Prague, Czech Republic ' Department of Economics of Faculty of Economics, University Katyavala Bwila, Benguela, Angola ' Department of Economics of Faculty of Economics, University Katyavala Bwila, Benguela, Angola ' Department of Economics of Faculty of Economics, University Katyavala Bwila, Benguela, Angola ' Department of Economics of Faculty of Economics, University Katyavala Bwila, Benguela, Angola

Abstract: Given the resource constraints faced by small farmers in developing countries, sustainable agricultural practices like composting can enhance agricultural productivity. The adoption of such sustainable agricultural practices, including compost production and utilisation, is crucial in addressing challenges such as soil acidity, drought, natural disasters, and food insecurity. However, the uptake of these practices remains low in various regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola, where factors influencing their adoption are not well understood. This study employed a Logit model to examine the adoption probabilities of compost among Angolan farmers. The findings revealed that older farmers with larger households exhibited a 1.4 times higher likelihood of accepting organic compost utilisation. Surprisingly, farmers with higher levels of education were 0.57 times less likely to use organic compost. Future research should refine the methodology and expand the study to other provinces or regions in Angola to facilitate comparisons and deepen understanding of composting practices and their utilisation among small farmers.

Keywords: sustainable agriculture; composting uptake; logit model; Benguela; Angola.

DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2023.132691

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, 2023 Vol.16 No.1/2/3, pp.161 - 175

Received: 05 Jan 2023
Accepted: 21 Apr 2023
Published online: 07 Aug 2023 *

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