Job Description

Factors influencing farmers’ adoption of improved technologies and good agricultural practices in the vegetable sector in Amhara Region, Ethiopia: the case of EMERTA project

Introduction and Background  

MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) is an organization dedicated to creating business solutions to poverty. MEDA’s EMERTA project (Ethiopians Motivating Enterprises to Rise in Trade and Agri-business), which is funded by Global Affairs Canada, is committed to increasing the income and employment opportunities for entrepreneurs and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) focusing on three value chains: rice, vegetables and gemstones with gender equality and environmental sustainability as cross-cutting themes.

The project has a gender equality strategy that focuses on mainstreaming gender into EMERTA activities and intervention to ensure that both men and women benefit from development outcomes. The project focuses on increasing women’s participation in economic opportunities and decision-making process in the household and community through providing various awareness raising events and training including gender and household financial management training for women and men clients in the agriculture sector. Entrepreneurship, financial and record keeping, and life skill training are also provided for MSMEs of the three sectors.

There is huge untapped potential in the agricultural sector in Ethiopia, where smallholder farmers production is typically characterised by low yields, variable quality, no access to financial service, and poor market linkages. The development and diffusion of agricultural technologies, and adoptation of improved farming practices is limited. Several reasons exist for low productivity in Ethiopia. These include: dependence on rainfed agriculture, diverse food crops of low hectarage, poor infrastructure (markets, roads, water and electricity), policy discrimination against agriculture, low investment in technology, and gender-based constraints that reduce technology adoption and effective management. In most societies, women tend to have a limited asset base with regard to land, incomes, knowledge and overall decision making compared to men. Based on literature review, these gender disparities directly and indirectly limit economic growth, productivity, and welfare.

One of the EMERTA project strategies is improving business performance of producers and MSMEs through capacitating them on the adoption of improved technologies and agricultural practice. To achieve this result, MEDA is working in partnership with Fogera National Rice Research Centre (FNRRTC) and Bureau of Agriculture in promotion and demonstration of new technologies, vegetable varieties, post-harvest technology and storage, In line with this, the project wants to understand the factors influencing adoption of technologies and new practices that helps to guide increased adoption. 

Most of the existing studies on agricultural technology adoption have focused on micro factors related to farm resource and farmer characteristics, farm systems, market-related factors, and variables related to access to services. Similarly, farmer preferences as factors that significantly influence the decision to adopt have been considered in some studies. Reasons why farmers do not adopt improved technologies: 1) They are either unaware of the technologies or of the benefits of using them, 2) The technologies are not available or are unavailable when needed, and 3) The technologies are unprofitable. This study is expected to clarify why most of the available proven technologies have very low or no adoption and impact by looking at technology adoption from a systems perspective. The study will be sought to establish the macro foundation of the micro factors of low technology adoption.

The purpose of this study is to identify, analyse, establish and, where possible, engender the underlying causes for the poor adoption, provide examples of successful examples and best practices on dissemination and out-scaling approaches from adoption case studies, and recommend strategic interventions that may address the causes identified for the poor adoption of technologies and good agricultural practices in EMERTA intervention sites.

Objectives

The overall objective of this study is to establish the factors constraining adoption of the available and proven agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices by potential users in EMERTA intervention woredas of South Gondar Zone and to recommend how adoption can be enhanced. The specific objectives are: 

• Identify, analyse, and establish the causes of the low and/or lack of adoption and scaling out of the available proven technologies and practice in EMERTA project.
• Provide analysed examples of best practices including case studies of dissemination and scaling-out approaches, and methods relevant and applicable to EMERTA project that have resulted in high levels of adoption.
• Recommend strategies that may improve dissemination, adoption and scaling out of proven technologies and practices.

For more on the TOR click below 

ToR-Factors influencing farmers adoption of technologies and good agricultural practices.docx

Job Requirements

• A Masters level degree qualification in agriculture, rural development, agribusiness, and marketing or related and relevant field with at least 5 years’ working experience in the agriculture/horticulture technology transformation. 
• For companies/firms, CVs of staffs to be involved should be attached.
• Strong and demonstrated experiences in agricultural technology,
• Evidence and referees for similar work done in the past.
• Knowledge and understanding of horticulture/vegetable sector as well as use in improved agricultural/horticultural technologies.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation, organizational management, and business writing skills in English.
• The following must be submitted as well,
• Renewed professional license of the company 
• VAT registration certificate 
• Renewed business license 
• Professional certificate of key personnel  

How to Apply

MEDA will accept expressions of interest until October 25, 2020. Submissions can be sent by email to vacancy.ethiopia@meda.org. Applicants can submit their application and supporting documents to MEDA-Addis Ababa with the following address in person.

MEDA Ethiopia, Kirkos Sub-City, kebele 02

P.O. Box 42502, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Telephone No. 251-11-470-5945

Applicants may apply in person to MEDA-Bahir Dar office located at Kebele 13 or behind Bureau of Education or you may contact us with +251583206489.

MEDA is willing to answer any technical questions of the applicants regarding this To rprior to the submission deadline using the above contact address.