Browsing by Author "Toddi Steelman, Committee Member"

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Counting Down To Change: Identifying Early Adopters and Effective Extension Multipliers of Cashew Agroforestry in Senegal
(2006-11-05) Dawson, Nevin Scott; Toddi Steelman, Committee Member; Erin O. Sills, Committee Chair; Anne Schiller, Committee Member
Soil degradation, persistent drought, and a continuous decline in peanut market prices combine to put Senegalese farmers in a difficult position. To avoid a complete system collapse, many have called for a paradigm shift from production to resource conservation and regeneration with the participation of rural populations (Advisory Committee on the Sahel et al., 1986; Cook, 1989; Rodale Institute, 1989; Chemonics International Inc., 2000; Franzel and Scherr, 2002). Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) alley-cropping represents an ideal opportunity for restoring soils while maintaining productivity, but farmers take time to adopt such new technologies. Some farmers are naturally more receptive to these new ideas than others ("early adopters"), and some farmers are more likely to encourage others to try new ideas ("effective advisors"). This thesis defines and identifies observable characteristics of these two types of farmers, arguing that they are the best extension multipliers and therefore good points of contact for extension agents to effect quick diffusion of the innovation through the village. This thesis contributes to the literature first, by considering time of adoption using quantitative methods that have typically been applied only to the decision whether or not to adopt at a particular point in time, and second, by incorporating into the model spatial and social relationships that are often ignored in adoption literature. The study was conducted in two small farming villages in the Sine-Saloum region of Senegal—Mamouda and Simong. I lived with a family in Simong for nine months and learned about the local culture and environment (June 2003-February 2004), and returned for three months of interviews and spatial data collection (February-April 2005). Qualitative and spatial data were analyzed, and quantitative data were used to estimate survival and probit regression models for time until cashew adoption, and OLS models for advisor effectiveness in cashew promotion. It was found that an effective extension multiplier will have assets and land with which to absorb any possible costs of failure, will have fields that are highly visible and centrally located in an area appropriate for cashew production, will be in the elder age class (more than 60 years old), and will be socially well-placed as an advisor to many and an advisee to none. Understanding the characteristics of early adopters and effective advisors will allow extension agents to quickly identify the few farmers who are most likely to adopt on the advice of an outsider and without the prior sanction of their peers, and who will then demonstrate and extend the innovation with little outside assistance. Focusing efforts on these key players should increase the effectiveness of the agent's time spent in the village, and after a successful training and trial, the new technology should then spread with little further intervention through farmer to farmer contacts (Advisory Committee on the Sahel et al., 1986; Bunch, 1982; Rodale Institute, 1989). This should result in a quicker and more effective impact of extension on the welfare of these poor farming communities.
Environmental Sustainability 'Inreach': How the Campus Community Informs Itself About Environmental Issues
(2005-07-24) Townsend, Becky J.; Gary Blank, Committee Co-Chair; Susan Moore, Committee Co-Chair; Toddi Steelman, Committee Member; Larry Nielsen, Committee Member
As many higher education institutions join in the sustainability challenge, several studies recently have emerged that examine the experiences of these institutions in greening their campuses. These studies have identified numerous factors that correlate with sustainability success. One common suggestion has been identified as a crucial measure for achieving success: raising environmental awareness within the campus community. Yet few data are available in the literature regarding what universities are doing to reach out to their campus communities about sustainability issues (for simplicity purposes, this will be referred to as 'inreach'). Despite the valuable benefits that inreach can accomplish, from publicizing existing campus sustainability efforts to increase compliance to raising general environmental awareness, little is known about the extent to which universities are using this strategy or about the program structures, methods, or success of inreach efforts. To address this gap, a survey was designed to (1) explore the strategies and providers that institutions of higher education are using to inform their campuses about environmental and sustainability topics; (2) determine factors associated with environmental sustainability inreach success; and (3) ascertain ways that inreach could be improved. The survey targeted all 188 higher education institutions in North and South Carolina and prompted 79 institutions to respond. Results show that the majority of institutions are still in the beginning stage of providing inreach, that facilities offices are important sources for providing inreach; and that inreach success is significantly associated with structure for inreach programs, institutional commitment to campus sustainability, larger enrollments, and greater operations spending. Suggestions for improving inreach programs include dedicating funding and resources, establishing a central inreach source, and making a commitment to campus sustainability.
Ethnic and Geographic Distribution of Natural Resource Management Strategies in the Tchabal Mbabo Region, Cameroon
(2005-08-15) Green, Arthur Gerrish; Erin Sill, Committee Chair; Jerry Jacka, Committee Member; Stacy Nelson, Committee Member; Toddi Steelman, Committee Member; Bill Dvorak, Committee Member
Conservation and development projects in Africa are now attempting to implement participatory approaches to protected area management. These approaches remedy many past sources of conflict between local communities and conservation projects, but also potentially cause as many problems as they remedy when user groups are not accurately defined. Lack of appropriate definition of pastoral and some agropastoral groups commonly occurs due to limitations in projects' funding and time as well as specific characteristics that make these groups difficult to work with in participatory projects. More efficacious methods of user group identification focused on traditional divisions in social structures or geographic distribution of communities could possibly assist in project implementation. This study explores whether differences of natural resource management (NRM) behaviors in Tchabal Mbabo (Cameroon) are positively associated to social divisions. The three groups of interest here are subethnic divisions of Fulße agropastoral groups: the Djafoun Mbororo, Akou Mbororo, and Huya Fulße subethnic groups. Fifty-five behaviors were chosen from a survey of 205 households. Data were coded and analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square test and the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test (α=.05). Thirty-seven of the 55 variables showed significant differences according to subethnic group. A second part of this study uses data collected during 20 months of participant-observation to create a series of descriptive profiles focused on NRM. Finally, all data is geographically referenced in order to assist further policy development, to create an historic reference for future research, and to lay the groundwork for longitudinal and exploratory research on the spatial distribution of ecological indicators and demographic characteristics. The results of this study are particularly relevant for the Gashaka Gumti-Tchabal Mbabo Transboundary Conservation Project, an integrated conservation and development project, in the region. The policy implications are explored.
Policies for Sustainable Forest Management in the Tropics: Governmental and Non-Governmental Policy Outputs, Execution, and Uptake in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua
(2008-09-17) McGinley, Kathleen Ann; Fred Cubbage, Committee Chair; Toddi Steelman, Committee Member; Rick Kearney, Committee Member; Erin Sills, Committee Member
Technology Adoption in West Africa: Adoption and Disadoption of Soybeans on the Togo-Benin Border
(2005-04-26) Jones, Kelly Michelle; Evan Mercer, Committee Member; Pam Arroway, Committee Member; Toddi Steelman, Committee Member; Erin Sills, Committee Chair
New agricultural technologies are promoted in developing countries to bring about some combination of economic, environmental, and or health benefit. All of these benefits are considered to improve the livelihoods of the households that adopt them. However, the adoption of these new innovations by farm households is never uniform but is based on each household's evaluation of the utility of the new technology with relation to that household's attributes. This study looks at the adoption of a new agricultural crop—soybeans—that has been promoted for its nutritional effects in the Tamberma region of Benin and Togo. Variables affecting adoption and disadoption are based on five broad categories of adoption determinants found in the literature: household preferences, resource endowments, economic incentives, risk and uncertainty, and biophysical characteristics. A sixth category of farmer's perceptions is added to this model to determine current perceptions of soybean utility in the study area. A Probit model is employed to determine factors affecting adoption and disadoption rates in the study area. Variables statistically correlated with the adoption decision include: education, extension, membership, health, cash cropping, and soil quality. Variables statistically correlated with the disadoption decision include: education, experience, expected price, and type of soil.