Factors Hindering Farmers’ Participation and Look for Agricultural Development and Food Security

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the key drivers of Ethiopia’s long-term development and food security. It supports 85% of the total population, constitutes 43% of GDP and 80% of export value. For the country to reach middle-income prestige by 2025 and make significant inroads against food insecurity, strategic choices and concerted and strategic investments in agricultural sector are vigorous. The government of Ethiopia has put maximum efforts to increase agricultural output. However, increments in agricultural production and productivity, the expected benefits, have not been achieved yet. Low agricultural production and productivity is the major cause of food insecurity in the country emanating from lack of suitable technologies for beneficiaries, low adoption of agricultural innovations, and lack of active participation of farmers in agricultural research. Therefore, this study examines critical factors that hinder farmers’ participation in agricultural research in Ethiopia. A total sample size of 39 respondents comprising 16 farmers, 14 researchers and 9 development agents were interviewed purposively based on snowball sampling technique. Qualitative research design was used in this research. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and observations and analysed descriptively. The empirical results reveal that lack of sufficient time, bad experiences in the past, perception of farmers’ for researchers, farmer’s attitude for research, the type of research, lack of stakeholder’s willingness to learn from one another, loose integration of indigenous and scientific knowledge and insignificant change of new technologies to material wealth critically hindered farmer’s participation in agricultural research to bring innovation in agriculture. Innovation in agriculture comes from the interaction of the different actors that are working in agriculture since each actor brings their own knowledge and results in social learning. Insignificant innovation in agricultural research results in food insecurity in the country.