Determinants of farmland conservation adoption among small-holder farmers in Epe division, Lagos State: implications for food security

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of farmland conservation adoption among small-scale farmers in the Epe division of Lagos State, Nigeria with a view of improving farm output through effective soil conservation practices. The study specifically describes the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents; identified conservation techniques used and analyzed factors influencing the adoption of farmland conservation practices in the study area. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 140 small-scale farmers with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. Primary data were collected on respondents’ socio-economic characteristics of the small-scale farmers such as sex, age, marital status, household size, and farm size, and conservation techniques. Data were analyzed using the multinomial Logit model. Results revealed that mulching was the common soil conservation technique practiced in the study area. Age, years of education, household size, marital status, extension contact, and plot age were significantly influenced farmers’ choice of farmland conservation practices. Hence, introducing and implementing policies aimed at effective and efficient use of land conservation practices that would improve soil nutrients which resulted in improvement in farm output should be the primary goals of government and non-governmental agencies.