Perceptions and Attitudes of Farming Household Heads towards the Adoption of Eco-Friendly Farming Practices in Embu County, Kenya
Abstract
Eco-Friendly Farming Practices (EFFPs) are vital components of sustainable agriculture, particularly in regions such as Embu County, Kenya, which are vulnerable to climate change impacts, where smallholder farmers contend with soil degradation, irregular rainfall, and food insecurity. This paper explores the perceptions and attitudes of household heads regarding the adoption of EFFPs, as part of a broader thesis on the determinants of adoption. Perceptions relate to farmers' cognitive assessments of the benefits and risks associated with EFFPs, whereas attitudes reflect emotional predispositions that influence behavioural intentions. Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected and analyzed from 402 household heads across Embu East, North, and West sub-counties. The findings reveal favourable perceptions of the environmental advantages of EFFPs (average score 4.2 out of 5), yet show less favourable attitudes toward obstacles to adoption, such as high initial costs (average score 2.8 out of 5). Households led by women exhibited more positive attitudes (average score of 4.1 out of 5), partly attributable to agency driven by migration, in contrast to regional trends. The study, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), underscores how subjective norms and perceived behavioural control influence adoption rates. Recent literature indicates that, in Kenya, approximately 60-70% of farmers perceive Climate Smart Agriculture (similar to EFFPs) as beneficial; however, resource constraints present significant barriers to widespread adoption. The recommendations advocate targeted extension services and campaigns to shift perceptions. This research makes a substantial contribution to Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 13 by promoting perception-focused interventions that foster equitable adoption and enhance resilience within smallholder agroecosystems.
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Introduction
Agriculture continues to be a fundamental pillar of the global economy, particularly in developing countries, where it underpins livelihoods and food security for billions of people. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2016), the limitations to sustainable economic growth are intricately linked to the management of environmental resources, highlighting the imperative for environmentally sustainable methodologies. In Sub-Saharan Africa, smallholder farmers, comprising over 80% of the agricultural workforce, confront biophysical challenges, including soil erosion and climate variability, which intensify environmental degradation (Mutuku et al., 2017). On a global scale, agriculture occupies 38% of terrestrial ecosystems, an increase from 37% in 1992 (World Bank, 2018), thereby expanding its ecological footprint.
Conventional farming, heavily reliant on external inputs such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, has increased yields but at the expense of sustainability. The Green Revolution, for instance, doubled production in Asia and Latin America in the 1960s (Kassie & Zikhali, 2009), yet it also led to nonpoint-source pollution, biodiversity loss, and soil compaction (Altieri, 2004; Lampkin, 1994). In Kenya, where agriculture accounts for 51% of GDP and employs 60% of the workforce (World Bank, 2018), these practices have contributed to declining soil fertility and heightened vulnerability to drought.
Conclusion
This study examined the perceptions and attitudes of farming household heads toward Eco-Friendly Farming Practices (EFFPs) in Embu County, Kenya, drawing on a mixed-methods approach with a robust sample of 402 respondents. The findings reveal that household heads in Embu County perceive EFFPs as environmentally superior, with strong recognition of their benefits for soil conservation (mean 4.28/5) and resilience enhancement (mean 4.15/5). However, attitudes are mixed, tempered by concerns about economic viability (mean 3.45/5) and risk perceptions (mean 3.21/5), reflecting the tension between environmental awareness and practical constraints.
Gender-disaggregated analysis shows that female-headed households exhibit significantly more positive attitudes (mean 4.06 vs. 3.72, p = 0.001) toward EFFP adoption, attributed to their intensified farm roles due to male out-migration and their proximate experience with household food provisioning. The regression model (R² = 0.38) confirms the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior, with environmental perceptions (β = 0.31), subjective norms (β = 0.28), and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.19) as significant predictors of attitudes.
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