Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption of Radical Terraces and Their Effects on Food Production and Security in Nyamagabe District, Rwanda

Abstract

A national survey conducted in 2016 revealed that out of Rwanda's 1,963,975 households, 473,847 were food insecure, with 63,696 classified as severely food insecure, while 979,045 were marginally food secure. Rwanda, not only a small country covering 26,338 square km but also landlocked, is often called the “Land of a Thousand Hills” due to its hilly terrain. Additionally, it sustains a large population, estimated at 13,697,803 in 2021, with a population density of 525 persons/sq. Km (NISR, 2022). Around 80% of the population relies on agriculture, which contributes 34% to the GDP and remains a primary employer (Mbonigaba, 2013; Republic of Rwanda, 2014; World Bank, 2014, p. 2). However, agricultural growth has been declining over the years, significantly impacting food security. For instance, agricultural growth rates were 0.5% in the 1980s, 3.9% in the 1990s, 9% in the 2000s, 8% in 2010, and 7.8% in 2015 (NISR, 2017). To address the declining food security situation, the Rwandan government introduced Radical terraces, an agricultural technology aimed at preserving soil and enhancing farming activities in the highland areas to increase agricultural production and ensure food security. Despite this initiative, many of the radical terraces are underutilized or abandoned by farmers, negatively impacting agricultural productivity and food security. In this context, this study sought to examine smallholder farmers' adoption of radical terraces and its effect on ensuring their food security. The literature review covered food security, adoption of radical terraces, and factors influencing adoption, including farmers' characteristics, access to agricultural information, membership in self-help groups, outside support from agencies, and participation in decision-making related to radical terraces. However, limited attention has been given to the role of community participation in food production projects, like the adoption of radical terraces and its impact on food security. The study utilized the adoption and diffusion model of farm innovations and food security theoretical perspectives as the basis for its research. The research design employed for the study was descriptive and correlational. Nyamagabe District was selected as the study site due to its adoption of radical terraces, despite being significantly affected by food shortages. Four sectors, Nkomane, Buruhukiro, Kibilizi, and Gatare, were purposively sampled from the district, along with eight cells and twenty-four villages within these sectors. The target population consisted of smallholder farmers who had adopted radical terraces, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the sampled farmers and interviews with nineteen key informants involved in the radical terraces project. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed using SPSS version 23 and thematic and narrative content analysis. The main findings indicated a positive and significant correlation between food security and farmers' adoption of radical terraces. The regression model showed that 96.8% of food security could be explained by the adoption of the radical terraces variable (R2 = 0.968; F (12, 179) = 446.775, p < 0.001). Many farmers reported improved food security after adopting radical terraces, with an increase in the daily meals taken by their households. Furthermore, farmers' adoption of radical terraces was significantly correlated with their family size, reported seasonal income, and land size owned, explaining 72% of the overall relationship between these variables (R2 = 0.720, F (14, 177) = 32.469, p < 0.001). Similarly, farmers' adoption of radical terraces was significantly correlated with their access to information sources about farming and radical terraces, explaining 70% of the overall relationship (R2 = 0.7001, F (9, 182) = 47.282, p < 0.001).

Moreover, farmers’ adoption of radical terraces was significantly correlated with their membership in self-help groups, outside support received from agencies, and participation in decision-making on radical terraces, explaining 68.5%, 68.1%, and 72.2% of the overall relationships, respectively (R2 = 0.685, F (8, 183) = 49.824, p < .001; R2 = 0.681, F (9, 182) = 43.232, p < .001; R2 = 0.722, F (9, 182) = 52.632, p < .001). The study suggests that continued government sensitization and education on adopting and maintaining radical terraces is necessary to improve food production and security. Additionally, providing low-cost and affordable loans to farmers for investing in farming, including radical terraces, is recommended. Finally, the potential application of the Technology Characteristics-Users’ Context model in adopting radical terraces in Rwanda warrants further research.