The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social capital in Uganda

Abstract

The goal of this study was two fold. First, to investigate the determinants of soil fertility management and conservation practices in Uganda, with particular interest in the role of poverty, social capital and land tenure. Secondly, to provide an understanding of the causal relationships between social capital and household poverty in Uganda. To achieve the above goals, econometric approaches were employed using a data set collected by IFPRI, the World Bank, and Uganda Bureau of Statistics from a survey that covered eight districts in Uganda. First to investigate the impact of poverty, land tenure and social capital on adoption of SFM and conservation technologies, a multinomial logit (MNL) model was used. Choice of the MNL model was motivated by the need to address the interdependent and joint nature of the adoption decision making. Secondly to understand the influence of social capital and other determinants on poverty in Uganda, a linear regression model was used while a probit model was used to capture the determinants of group participation our measure of social capital. The results show that participation in social institutions generally tends to increase the probability of adopting most SFM and conservation practices and reducing non-adoption. Social capital also reduces household poverty. The study further shows that poverty increases the probability of non-adoption. Also, land tenure security was found to be positively correlated with adoption of fallowing and organic fertilizer use and reducing the probability of non-adoption. Other key factors that affect adoption of SFM and conservation technologies, poverty and group participation include education, road infrastructure, agro-climatic differences, and household size among others. From a policy perspective, the significance of social capital in both technology adoption and the poverty models, suggests that public investment in social capital through: capacity building programs for local groups, infrastructure support, enabling environment for their functioning (legal framework) among others would lead to poverty reduction and improved investments in SFM and conservation technologies. This can be done by incorporating social capital in key government policies such as the poverty eradication action plan and program for modernisation of agriculture. The results also suggest that poverty reduction would increase adoption of SFM and conservation technologies. Copyright 2007, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Birungi, EM 2007, The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social capital in Uganda, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-01252008-173216 / >