Beyond Famers' Willingness to Adopt the System of Rice Intensification: Role of Management Institutions and Physical Conditions in Mali

Abstract

Upon SRI’s successes and expansion globally, the system was introduced in West Africa in recent years. It was simultaneously introduced in both Baguinéda and Sélingué irrigated schemes, in 2018, by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) through its Green Innovation Centre (CIV). While adoption studies commonly focus on factors at farmers’ level, this paper aimed to treat the role of the institutional environment and the physical conditions of the schemes in the adoption of SRI in Baguinéda and Sélingué, Mali. Purposive sampling technique was used to select hundred and twenty-one farmers in the two locations for individual interviews. The interviews were conducted through a questionnaire including questions on physical and institutional constraints preventing farmers to adopt SRI. In addition, two focus group discussions with farmers in each location and key informant interviews with management staffs and extension officers were also conducted. Results revealed the existence of operational problems within farmers’ organizations as well as management offices. They also indicated that none of the parties, including Government, plays its full roles as indicated in the governing documents of the schemes and, these combined factors negatively affect SRI adoption. These results help understand that interventions aiming at SRI adoption should not be limited to targeting only farmers but should also address the management institutions and physical conditions of the intended locations.