Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Organic agricultural practices among small holder farmers in South Western Nigeria
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/57598
methods that are currently contributing to global warming (IFOAM, 2008; Swift et al, 2004).
There are a number of factors indicating that organic agriculture is far more future proof than
conventional agriculture. These include ecosystem services (Pimentel et al, 2005 and Stolze et
al, 2000); Ecological health (Backer et al, 2009, D'Agostino and Sovacool, 2011); Soil fertility
and system stability (Reddy, 2010, Mader et al, 2002); mitigating climate change (FiBL, 2007,
Lee, 2005); food safety and quality (Gallagher et al, 2005, Makatouni, 2002; Magnusson et al,
2001 and Torjusen et al, 2001); return on investment and poverty alleviation (Rigby and
Caceres, 2001); consumer preferences (Willer and Youssefi, 2007, Chen, 2007 and Mondelaers
et al, 2009); value addition (Ohmart, 2003, Mitchell et al, 2007); market niche (Alroe and Noe,
2008) and indigenous knowledge (Tengo and Belfrage, 2004, IFOAM, 2003).
3. Methodology
The area of study is southwestern Nigeria which comprises of six states namely: Oyo, Osun,
Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos States. Southwest is situated mainly in the Tropical Rainforest
Zone, though with swamp forest in the coastal regions in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Delta States.
The agricultural sector forms the base of the overall development thrust of the zone. The zone
covers an area ranging from swamp forest to western up lands, in between are rain forest and
the northern parts of Oyo and Ogun states having derived Guinea savannah vegetation. The
areas lie between latitude 5 degrees and 9 degrees North and longitude 2 degrees and 8 degrees
East. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the south, Kwara and Kogi states in the north,
Eastern Nigeria in the east and Republic of Benin in the west. It has a land area of about
114,271km square representing 12% of the country's total land areas. The high concentration
of agricultural activities justifies the choice of the study area (NARP, 1996).
The research design of the study is descriptive and quantitative which is defined by Bless and
Higson-Smith (2000), as a study concerned with the condition that exist, practices that prevail,
beliefs and attitudes that are held, processes that are on-going and trends that are developing.
The study profile organic farming practices in southwestern Nigeria. The population of the
study is the entire population of vegetable farmers in the South Western Nigeria. Cluster
sampling technique was adopted for selecting the required sample of urban vegetable
producers. From literature and preliminary surveys, vegetable production in urban areas that
is market oriented is mostly carried out along perennial sources of water or lowlands. This
constrains farmers to clusters around these sources of water. Therefore, cluster sampling is
considered appropriate. The sampling technique involves random selection of three states in
the southwestern Nigeria which were Oyo, Ogun and Ondo. Three local government areas in
the urban were selected from each state to give a total number of nine local government areas
used for the study. The choice of these Local government areas is based on the dominance of
vegetable producers in the different areas. The three local government areas chosen in Oyo
state were Akinyele, Egbeda and Ogbomoso south. The three local government areas chosen
in Ogun state were Odeda, Obafemi Owode and Abeokuta north. The three local government
areas selected in Ondo state were Akure south, Akure north and Ifedore. A cluster of vegetable
producers was selected from each of the local government areas to give total of nine clusters.
