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

Titre : What motivates farmers’ adoption, upscaling and continuance with insect farming practices in Western Kenya ?

Auteur : Owuor, Victor Odhiambo

Université de soutenance : Gent University

Grade : International Master of Science in Rural Development 2022

Résumé
Insect as food and feed is a growing theme in the current dispensation. Recently, there has been a rise in the number of enterprises rearing insects en masse, most of which enjoy the advantages of scale efficiency. However, with the growing concerns of rapidly population growth, the unprecedented economic and environmental impacts of traditional sources of protein, and a realization of the importance of promoting circularity in production systems, efforts aimed at increasing public awareness of edible and animal-fed insects have erupted in recent years. As such, farmers have been brought onboard as important actors within insect’s value chains. While most of the studies in the field of insects for food and feed have focused more on understanding and arousing consumer interests as well as on appraising emerging start-ups, this study, targeted small-scale farmers. Face-to-face survey questionnaires were administered to 358 farmers from Kakamega and Siaya Counties in Western Kenya with the goal of predicting their intentions to start, upscale and continue with insect farming and harvesting practices. Items therein were formulated from well-known theories of planned behaviour, technology acceptance model and expectation confirmation theory. The study established that more farmers were indeed willing to adopt or upscale current insect farming and harvesting practices and this willingness was predicted more by knowledge, perceived usefulness, attitude, and behavioural intentions. Perceived ease of use, perceived value, confirmation, and satisfaction antecedents were the most important predictors of willingness to continue. The study recommends continuous training and farmers’ engagement by policy and technical institutions to develop these predictors.

Présentation

Version intégrale