ABSTRACT
Excessive theft and conflict between communities were the reasons for a complete abandonment of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivation in the Beseku Illala Peasant Association, Ethiopia. We studied the extent of and determinants for the adoption or non-adoption of bean cultivation following a participatory farmer-led reintroduction of the crop. The aims were to (1) assess the extent of adoption following the enforcement of collective by-laws and re-intro duction of faba bean cultivation, (2) identify the determinants of farmers’ households that took up the cultivation of faba beans and (3) clarify the reasons behind inter-village differences in the rate of adoption. The re-introduction resulted in an area being cultivated that was larger than an estimated area expected from the amount of seeds distributed and the recommended seed rate. The decision by a household to re-adopt bean cultivation was positively influenced by previous experience in cultivating the crop and contact with extension services. The spatial separation of the homestead from farmland due to villagization (local resettlement) was the underlying reason for non-adoption in some villages since the possibilities of guarding the fields against theft were limited. Fear of conflict as a result of reporting theft was another important reason not to cultivate beans. We conclude that traditional institutions may play an important role in interventions and up-scaling. Support is also needed from government institutions in the form of extension and the provision of high-quality inputs such as seeds. Participation and mobilization of farmers may be a pathway for resolving local conflicts that are manifest as obstacles to agricultural intensification.
