What Makes Small-Scale Farmers Participate in Financing Agricultural Research and Extension? Analysis of Three Case Studies from Benin

Abstract This paper analyses the organizational, financial and technological incentives that service organizations used to motivate farmers to finance agricultural research and extension in Benin. Understanding the foundations and implications of these motivation systems is important for improving farmer financial participation in agricultural research and extension. We studied three cases of farmer financial participation in the field of agricultural research and extension in Benin. We conducted semi-structured interviews with leaders of service organizations and farmers’ associations, local authorities and individual farmers. Our interviews focused on service delivery systems, mechanisms of farmers’ financial contribution, the functioning of farmers’ associations, and the appropriateness of services provided. We performed thematic and comparative analyses at the interfaces between (1) service providers and partner–farmer associations, (2) service providers and delivered services, and (3) farmers/farmers’ associations and services. Incentives for farmer financial participation are the increasing participation strategy, the fulfillment of farmers’ needs and the local leadership valorization. The selection and combination of their variants determine the motivating capacity and orientation of service organizations. Conversely to the increasing participation strategy, an effective fulfillment of farmers’ needs and local leadership valorization can lead to sustainable motivation. As the fulfillment of farmers’ needs determines importantly the effectiveness and sustainability of farmers’ motivation, the strategies of farmer financial participation are likely to fail if there are no successful agricultural technological incentives. In the current context of privatization of agricultural services in developing countries, this analytical framework is of interest for policy makers and development workers for identifying conditions of farmer financial participation and designing effective motivation strategies.

[1]  Edward L. Deci,et al.  Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior , 1975, Perspectives in Social Psychology.

[2]  J. O. D. Sardan,et al.  Paysans, experts et chercheurs en Afrique noire: sciences sociales et développement rural , 2011 .

[3]  I. Guijt,et al.  The myth of community : gender issues in participatory development , 1998 .

[4]  Irene Guijt,et al.  1. Waking up to power, conflict and process , 1998 .

[5]  F. Olubayo,et al.  Participatory assessment of farmers' experiences of termite problems in agroforestry in Tororo District , 2005 .

[6]  C. Conroy,et al.  Participatory technology development with resource-poor farmers: maximising impact through the use of recommendation domains. , 2004 .

[7]  Adams Js.  Towards an understanding of inequity , 1963 .

[8]  J. S. Adams,et al.  TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF INEQUITY. , 1963, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[9]  Patrice Roussel.  La motivation au travail: concept et theories , 2000 .

[10]  I. Moumouni,et al.  Understanding the motivation of farmers in financing agricultural research and extension in Benin , 2010 .

[11]  A. Strauss.  Basics Of Qualitative Research , 1992 .

[12]  Nancy H. Leonard,et al.  Work Motivation: The Incorporation of Self-Concept-Based Processes , 1999 .

[13]  Richard,et al.  Motivation through the Design of Work: Test of a Theory. , 1976 .

[14]  P. Bosc,et al.  Stratégies et comportements des agriculteurs les plus pauvres vis-à-vis de l'intensification et de la préservation des ressources naturelles dans les pays de l'Afrique soudano-sahélienne , 1995 .

[15]  I. Scoones,et al.  Beyond Farmer First: rural people's knowledge, agricultural research and extension practice , 1994 .

[16]  J. Greenberg,et al.  A Taxonomy of Organizational Justice Theories , 1987 .

[17]  J. Greenberg,et al.  Organizational Justice: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow , 1990 .

[18]  T. Thrall.  Work redesign. , 2003, Hospitals & health networks.

[19]  J. P. T. Dalsgaard,et al.  Introducing a farmers' livestock school training approach into the national extension system in Vietnam. , 2005 .

[20]  A. Pacey,et al.  Farmer first: Farmer innovation and agricultural research , 1989 .

[21]  Sally Humphries,et al.  LINKING SMALL FARMERS TO THE FORMAL RESEARCH SECTOR: LESSONS FROM A PARTICIPATORY BEAN BREEDING PROGRAMME IN HONDURAS Sally Humphries, Omar Gallardo, Jose Jimenez and Fredy Sierra with members of the Association of CIALs of Yorito, Sulaco and Victoria , 2005 .

[22]  R. J. Vallerand,et al.  Introduction à la psychologie de la motivation , 1993 .

[23]  R. J. Vallerand,et al.  Loisirs et santé mentale: les relations entre la motivation pour la pratique des loisirs et le bien-être psychologique. , 1995 .

[24]  Etienne Landais,et al.  L'association agriculture-élevage en Afrique intertropicale : un mythe techniciste confronté aux réalités du terrain , 1990 .

[25]  J. S. Adams,et al.  Inequity In Social Exchange , 1965 .

[26]  P. L. Meur.  Logiques paysannes au Bénin: courtage, associations, réseaux et marchés , 2000 .

[27]  R. Folger.  Justice, motivation, and performance beyond role requirements , 1993 .

[28]  Rolland Viau.  Vallerand, R. J. et Thill, E. E. (1993). Introduction à la psychologie de la motivation. Laval : Éditions Études Vivantes. , 1994 .

[29]  Pamela Jordan.  Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques , 1994 .

[30]  Robert Chambers,et al.  Participatory Workshops: A Sourcebook of 21 Sets of Ideas and Activities , 2002 .

[31]  J. O. D. Sardan,et al.  Courtiers en développement : les villages africains en quête de projets , 2001 .