Previous studies on technology adoption have treated smallholder farmers’ decisions as being binary. In this article, we assess the adoption, non-adoption and dis-adoptions decisions among smallholder finger millet producers in Nakuru, Kenya. The crop has potential to enhance food security and nutrition in the context of climate change. Data for the study were collected from a household survey of 326 households selected through a multi-stage sampling process. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of oral communication in improving the marketing and financial management skills of sweet potato farmers.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a quasi-experimental design with a pre- and post-test approach. The sample was 540 sweet potato farmers that were randomly assigned to training (n = 270) and no-training groups (n = 270) with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) as the method of data analysis.

Abstract

AbstractWe evaluate the impact of a producer organization avocado contract farming intervention in Kenya that included (1) an agreement to sell to an avocado exporting company, (2) access to training, and (3) support to gain group‐level Global Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBALG.A.P.) certification as main activities. Using a (nonexperimental) doubly robust difference‐in‐differences design with farm‐level panel data from 2015 and 2017, we show that farmers began selling to the contracted company, were recently trained and received the GLOBALG.A.P. certification.

Contract farming is one potential mechanism that smallholder farmers in developing countries can use to participate in and benefit from domestic and global value chains (Okello and Swinton 2007; Barrett et al. 2012; Minot and Sawyer 2016; Ruben 2017; Ton et al. 2017). Linking smallholder farmers more directly with national and global consumers should increase both the demand and producer prices for their fresh produce. Increased access to and participation in such value chains increases farm income earned by smallholders.