Determinants of inorganic fertiliser use in the mixed crop-livestock farming systems of the Central highlands of Ethiopia

Use of inorganic fertilizers could be fundamental in addressing low and declining soil fertility while improving food security in sub-Sahara Africa. Determination of key factors responsible for use of inorganic fertilizers in the central highlands of Ethiopia is increasingly important as continued land redistribution in already degraded and land-scarce highlands undermines sustainable farming and increases nutrient mining. Education level of the head of the household, number of livestock owned, number of plots owned, land tenure, access to credit and extension, agroecology and manure use influence both the likelihood of adoption and intensity of inorganic fertilizer use.