Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture No. 1/10
Understanding the motivation of farmers in financing agricultural research and extension in Benin
Ismail M. Moumouni
University of Parakou, Benin
Friedhelm Streiffeler
Humboldt-University of Berlin, Germany
Abstract
Farmers are increasingly asked to pay for agricultural research and
extension (ARE) services in many developing countries. Although, farmers
participate diversely in funding these services, their motivation is rarely
sustainable. This paper addresses the question whether this financial
participation is the reflection of the development of a sense of
appropriation of services or rather an adaptation strategy of farmers who
may have been coerced to share the costs of services. We conducted a
qualitative inductive analysis based on three case studies in Benin to
develop a framework for understanding farmers’ motivation to finance ARE.
The analyses show that farmers’ subjective interpretations of service
organizations triggered and guided the motivation to finance ARE. Motivation
processes could turn to diversion processes or congruence processes.
Conversely to diversion processes, motivation congruence processes ensured a
sustainable farmer financial participation. These findings could be useful
for designing or analysing ARE funding systems, especially with respect to
their effectiveness and sustainability.
Keywords: agricultural research and extension, farmer financial participation, motivation, Benin
JEL: Q1, O3, Z1
Vol. 49 (2010), No. 1: 47-68