Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Farmers’ Willingness to Adopt WLI Technologies

Abstract

The Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) has been developing several research lines to enhance wheat production in Lebanon. Significant efforts have been made to increase productivity and economic viability of wheat farming. The Lebanese is generally, agriculture is characterized by its heterogeneity, there are two parallel agricultural sectors: one that is traditional, characterized by small to medium scale investment and on which a large number of families rely for a living; and one that is characterized by highly competitive large agricultural investment that controls much of the agricultural land and resources, but that still provides jobs for a significant number of families . Wheat production is no exception, and wheat is grown in large scale intensive irrigated farms as well as small scale irrigated or rain-fed farms. In this context, LARI has been developing local wheat seeds adapted to local conditions to ensure a high yield of production for both small and large scale, and irrigated and rain-fed productions alike. In addition to seed production, LARI has been working on introducing conservation agriculture (CA) to the Lebanese context. LARI is undertaking research to assess if conservation agriculture can help increase the profitability of small scale production and sustain the livelihoods of small farmers. According to the description of the FAO, conservation agriculture is a method to managing agro-ecosystems to achieve better and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while at the same time preserving and improving the resource base and the environment . The FAO describes three key principles of CA namely: (1) Continuous minimum mechanical soil disturbance, (2) permanent organic soil cover, and (3) diversification of crop species grown in sequences and/or associations. Against this background, LARI has undertaken a field study in order to understand the main factors that influence farmers’ adoption of this new technology. A sample of 37 farmers from the Beqaa Valley were selected to fill a questionnaire. The selected farmers are beneficiaries of LARI extension services program. This questionnaire contained quantitative as well as qualitative questions.