Household adoption behaviour of improved soil conservation: the case of the North Pare and West Usambara Mountains of Tanzania

The mountains in the northeastern part of Tanzania have been experiencing declining soil fertility and severe soil erosion due to increased cultivation and other factors attributed to population pressure. This study gives the main results of an analysis of household adoption behaviour towards the use of improved soil conservation measures. An interdisciplinary analytical framework for analyzing household adoption behaviour is presented. The framework links three components of the adoption decision process: the perception of the erosion problem, the decision to use improved conservation measures and the level of investment or effort devoted to soil conservation among adopters. Data collected from a random sample of 300 heads of households was used to estimate logit models of perception of the erosion problem and of adoption of improved conservation measures, and a Poisson regression model of effort devoted to conservation. The results show that participation in promotional activities of soil and water conservation (SWC) programmes influences the adoption decision process at all three stages. Also, ranking of soil erosion as the priority problem in agricultural production, participation in labour-sharing groups and having off-farm income influence the willingness and ability to use improved soil conservation technologies and the level of soil conservation effort. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.