Socio-Economic and Policy Obstacles to Biofertiliser Adoption in African Agriculture: A Thematic Chapter
摘要
In African agriculture, biofertilisers offer vital answers to the problems of diminishing soil fertility, food poverty, and environmental degradation. They are a potential and environmentally benign substitute for chemical fertilisers. However, there is still a lack of broad adoption throughout the continent in spite of their demonstrated agronomic and ecological advantages. This chapter looks at the social and policy challenges that stop farmers from using biofertiliser, using research, reports, and examples from different African countries. Low farmer awareness, cultural opposition, poor extension services, restricted market access, and insufficient policy assistance are some of the main challenges. Enabling variables like government–NGO partnerships, community-led demonstration projects, and favourable subsidy regimes are also identified in the review. To enhance comprehension of farmer decision-making and institutional dynamics, three conceptual frameworks are used: the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and the Diffusion of Innovations. Ethiopian, Nigerian, and Kenyan case studies emphasise the significance of multi-stakeholder cooperation and context-specific interventions. To enable inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation in Africa, the analysis ends with policy suggestions and identifies research gaps, such as the need for cross-country policy assessments, gender-sensitive evaluations, and longitudinal studies.