Resource information
Coastal Kenya is a food deficit area producing only 20 percent of its
food requirement and is referred to as a net importer of food.
However, technologies that can improve food production in the area
exist and continue being developed. These technologies include:
deep tillage, timely planting, use of green manure, animal manure •
and fertilizer application.
Social capital refers to the various social relationships and networks
and the resources that become available thereof. Adoption has to do
with application of at least one or all of the following land and water
technologies: deep tillage, early planting, line planting, green manure,
animal manure and fertilizer rates.
The study set out to investigate the effect of social capital on adoption
of land and water technologies by smallholder farmers in Kaloleni
division of Kilifi District. The study took a representative sample of
120 smallholder farmers in three locations namely Ruruma, Rabai
and Kaloleni. The objective of this study was to examine the role of social capital in
smallholder farmers' access to the factors that facilitate adoption
focussing on land and water technologies. The data for the study was
collected using structured interviews, direct observation and in-depth
interviews. The study findings show that social capital plays an important role in
the process of acquiring ingredients necessary for successful
adoption in terms of access to information, resource mobilisation,
technology awareness and application. There was significant
relationship between the various aspects for example farmers are
willing to contribute resources if they trust that they will be used for
the intended purpose. The results. further show that other factors play
important role in adoption for example access to resource which are
necessary to purchase inputs necessary for successful adoption.
The study concluded that social plays an important role in technology
adoption, especially in making it possible to reach a large number of
farmers using limited resources. This is made possible by farmers'
willingness to share information with fellow group members, friends
and neighbours thus enabling spread of information. However social
capital on its own does not enable technology adoption. It acts as a
catalyst for accessing the ingredients necessary for successful
adoption. It recommended that there is need to develop a subsidy or
credit system that enable farmers purchase the inputs and
implements necessary for successful adoption. Technologies
developed and packaging should take into consideration the varied
economic levels of farmers in order to ensure successful uptake and
adoption.
