Commercialization of maize impedes uptake of sustainable intensification practices among smallholder farmers of eastern Uganda

Abstract

Increased productivity through sustainable intensification of agriculture is a major pathway to strengthening smallholder economies through food crop commercialization. However, due to engendered crop decisions where women tend to own and produce food crops mostly using sustainable practices, and men the cash crops that they produce using intensification practices, it thus remains unclear whether increased smallholder food crop production is attainable in an environmentally friendly manner. Therefore, this study sought to determine the influence of commercialization on the uptake of Sustainable Intensification Practices (SIP) in eastern Uganda. Survey data from a random sample of 584 smallholder maize farmers was subjected to binary logistic analysis in SPSS version 16. Results show commercialization (β = -2.567, p = 0.000), farmer’s sex (β = -1.761, p = 0.018), peer influence/ support (β = 1.937, p = 0.015), and autonomy to use productive assets (β = 1.741, p = 0.042) and earned income (β = 1.261, p = 0.034) statistically significantly influence farmer uptake of the SIP. It is demonstrated that commercialization inhibits uptake, and women were less likely to use SIP because of a lack of autonomy in decision-making regarding resource use. In conclusion, the uptake of SIP as embedded in gender relations governing resource use and distribution and, as such, enhanced women’s rights over the use of productive resources and earned income should be incorporated in policies and extension programs accompanying the delivery of sustainable intensification practices.