Input use and conservation investments among farm households in Rwanda: patterns and determinants.

Abstract

This paper attempts to identify the determinants of farmer investments in agricultural intensification in Rwanda and to examine how these determinants either constrain or enable farmer investment strategies. Particular attention is given to soil conservation investments, use of organic matter, purchase of chemical inputs, and soil erosion associated with land use patterns. The research reported in this paper confirms that all five hypothesized determinants of adoption (financial incentives, physical incentives, risk, wealth, and agrosocioeconomic context) play a role in shaping farmers' investment and input-use behaviour. The analysis also shows that major changes in conservation and input investments will require attention to the broader package of determinants, as no one factor can be singled out and thus no single policy instrument offers greater leverage to induce greater soil conservation.