Improved maize technology adoption and its intensity among male- and female-headed households in Dawuro zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Both male- and female-headed farm households grow maize in Ethiopia. However, little is known about the difference between male- and female-headed households in the adoption of high-yielding technologies for maize. This study examines the difference between male- and female-headed households in their decision to adopt and the intensity of adoption of improved maize technologies in Dawuro zone, Southwestern Ethiopia. The study uses primary data collected in 2018 from 560 maize-producing households in Dawuro zone, Ethiopia. As the female-headed households are not homogenous, this study separately assessed gender differences in improved maize technology adoption between de facto female-headed households and de jure female-headed households. The results show that the intensity of adoption of improved maize varieties (IMVs) and chemical fertilizers on plots managed by male-headed households is statistically different from those managed by female-headed households. The intensity of adoption of IMVs and chemical fertilizers by female-headed household is lower compared to male-headed households. As economic status is a key driver of the adoption of IMVs and fertilizer application, it is recommended that the policies and programs that aim at developing and disseminating quality maize seeds and fertilizers in Dawuro zone should support economically poor female-headed households, particularly, de jure female heads.

Keywords:

• Gender difference
• male and female-headed households
• technology adoption
• adoption intensity
• double-hurdle model
• maize
• Dawuro zone
• Ethiopia

Acknowledgments

The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the authors’ institutions or BMGF, and shall not be used for advertising purposes.

Ethical approval

This study is based on survey methods involving interviewing farmers to answer questions about their socioeconomic activities. Like any socioeconomic survey, the Institutional Research Ethics Committee (IREC) of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) classified this research as a low risk study. Entire research methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations issued by CIMMYT institutional research ethics committee (IREC).

Consent to participate

Each questionnaire of this study had a front-page section that required informed consent for interview and publication before the interview proceeded. Interviewers were trained and under instructions to read aloud the consent statement to each interviewee before the interview could advance. Participants were informed that they were under no obligation to answer any questions, and that they could stop the interview at any time without giving any reasons and request that any partial data recorded be removed from the records. This way, the survey was consistent with CIMMYT-IREC policies and those generally applied in low-risk social science research.

Consent to publish

The respondents’ participation in the study was voluntary. It ensured the concealment of their identity, and the respondents were informed that their identity would not be known in any study report or publications. Respondents were assured that their household information would be kept strictly confidential and will not be shared with any third party.

Author contributions

Girma Gesimu: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing.

Yuichiro Amekawa: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing.

Dil Bahadur Rahut: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Project administration.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Authors do not have the right to share the data. However, it may be made available to the reader upon request.

Notes

1 In this study, de jure FHHs are defined as households headed by women who are not married, are divorced or widowed while de facto FHHs are defined as households headed by women whose spouses (husbands) are away from home because of work or other reasons.

Additional information

Funding

This work was carried out by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) as part Stress Tolerant Maize Project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).