The status of perception, information exposure and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia

Spurk, Christoph; Asule, Pamellah; Baah-Ofori, Rebecca; Chikopela, Louis; Diarra, Boubacar; Koch, Carmen

doi:10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	The status of perception, information exposure and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia
Authors:	Spurk, Christoph Asule, Pamellah Baah-Ofori, Rebecca Chikopela, Louis Diarra, Boubacar Koch, Carmen
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089
Published in:	The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
Volume(Issue):	26
Issue:	2
Page(s):	141
Pages to:	161
Issue Date:	2019
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	1389-224X 1750-8622
Language:	English
Subject (DDC):	000: Generalities and science 630: Agriculture
Abstract:	Purpose: Soil fertility is decreasing in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. To mitigate this trend, various agricultural technologies are available, but their uptake by farmers has been low. Perception of the problem, information exposure, and knowledge play a major role in adoption of technologies. This study assessed empirically the levels of perception, knowledge and information exposure among African farmers as an indicator for potential adoption of soil fertility technologies. Design/Methodology/approach: The study used survey data of more than 2,400 small-scale farmers selected through random sampling from Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia. The survey investigated socio-economic factors, exposure to media, perception and knowledge of soil fertility and other information. Findings: Many farmers did not perceive soil fertility as a major challenge, except in Mali; farmers were hardly receiving information on soil fertility from professional agricultural sources, and they often lacked accurate knowledge about soil fertility technologies. Radio was by far the most used information source for farmers. Practical implications: The study has exposed the need for interventions to increase awareness, information exposure, and knowledge about soil fertility among farmers to strengthen the adoption of soil fertility technologies. It also calls for innovative ways of strengthening extension services through links with radio. Theoretical implications: The role of communication in the uptake of agricultural innovations is still under-researched, and hence this study exposes the need to investigate in-depth knowledge, perception levels, and quality and frequency of information exposure on various channels of soil fertility management. Originality: This is one of the few studies empirically measuring perception, information frequency on various channels, and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in African countries.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/18173
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Applied Linguistics
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Applied Media Studies (IAM)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Farmer-driven organic resource management to build soil fertility and improve food security
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Angewandte Linguistik

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Spurk, C., Asule, P., Baah-Ofori, R., Chikopela, L., Diarra, B., & Koch, C. (2019). The status of perception, information exposure and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 26(2), 141–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089

Spurk, C. et al. (2019) ‘The status of perception, information exposure and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia’, The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 26(2), pp. 141–161. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089.

C. Spurk, P. Asule, R. Baah-Ofori, L. Chikopela, B. Diarra, and C. Koch, “The status of perception, information exposure and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia,” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 141–161, 2019, doi: 10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089.

SPURK, Christoph, Pamellah ASULE, Rebecca BAAH-OFORI, Louis CHIKOPELA, Boubacar DIARRA und Carmen KOCH, 2019. The status of perception, information exposure and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension. 2019. Bd. 26, Nr. 2, S. 141–161. DOI 10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089

Spurk, Christoph, Pamellah Asule, Rebecca Baah-Ofori, Louis Chikopela, Boubacar Diarra, and Carmen Koch. 2019. “The Status of Perception, Information Exposure and Knowledge of Soil Fertility among Small-Scale Farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 26 (2): 141–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089.

Spurk, Christoph, et al. “The Status of Perception, Information Exposure and Knowledge of Soil Fertility among Small-Scale Farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, vol. 26, no. 2, 2019, pp. 141–61, https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2019.1656089.