Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : DETERMINANTS OF FARMERS’ INTENTION TO ADOPT SMALL SCALE INSECT FARMING PRACTICES FOR ANIMAL FEED IN COLOMBIA

Auteur : Espinosa Diaz, Salomon

Université de soutenance : Gent University

Grade : International Master of Science in Rural Development 2019

Résumé
In many developing countries access to animal protein is limited due to the low productivity of livestock systems as a consequence of climate change and the high production costs. About 60 to 70% of the total costs of animal production systems go to feedstuffs like meat meal, fishmeal and soymeal. Besides, these sources of feed for animals are limited and have a big impact in the environment. Insect farming has been proposed as a good alternative to improve people’s food security especially in low income countries as well as a more sustainable source of feed for animals. Insect-based feedstuffs can be considered a good alternative for fishmeal, soymeal and other feedstuffs because they are comparably high in nutrients, require less space in their production, have a low environmental impact and are already a natural part of the diet of fish, poultry and pigs in nature. In spite of all these advantages, there are still some barriers and challenges that have to be overcome first in order to get the attention from policy makers and other institutions to support and promote the inclusion of insects into our food system both as food and feed. One of these main challenges has to do with the acceptance of insect farming among farmers. While insect farming as an alternative source of feed can yield many benefits for rural communities, negative perceptions and insufficient acceptance can be an obstacle to the successful adoption, transference and promotion of this innovation among farmers. However, very little is known about the determinants that influence farmers’ intention to adopt these practices. The main objective of this study was to analyze ex-ante the level of acceptance that insect farming practices for animal feed (IFAF) could have among smallholders in Colombia. The conceptual framework used was based on the main psychological constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), two popular models used to predict the acceptance of new technologies or innovations, as well as the analysis of some socio-economic characteristics. The results indicated that the level of Subjective Norm (SN) and the level of Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) played an important role in the intention of farmers towards the adoption of IFAF. Characteristics like the level of education of the farmer and the level of importance they give to feedstuff attributes were also found significant

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