COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE ADOPTION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES IN UGANDA: A STUDY OF BANANA (MUSA SPP.) PEST MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Local organizations are increasingly proposed as an alternative to the traditional model of agriculture extension in many sub-Saharan African countries. However, information on the characteristics of organizations that are important for technology adoption is limited. We analyze the characteristics of organizations and how each affects the technology adoption among Ugandan farmers. A factor analysis is used to cluster the observed features of organizations into fewer factors that represent major dimensions of organizations. Hypotheses are tested based on a probit regression. Results indicate that different aspects of organizations affect the adoption decisions in unique ways. Household density of participation, ethnic homogeneity and geographical proximity encourage adoption while socio-demographic homogeneity slows it down.