The socioeconomic context of carbon sequestration in agroforestry: A case study from homegardens of Kerala, India
Document Type
Contribution to Book
Publication Date
7-6-2011
Publication Title
Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agroforestry Systems
DOI
10.1007/978-94-007-1630-8_16
ISBN
978-94-007-1630-8
Abstract
While the biological and ecological role of agroforestry (AF) on climate change mitigation has received considerable research attention lately, the role of socio-psychological factors in this context has been left largely unexplored. Socio-psychological variables such as culture, demography, economy, and social values play important roles in farmers’ decision making with the land management, which in turn influence the ability of AF systems to sequester carbon (C). This chapter presents a case study from Thrissur, Kerala, India, which examined how different socio-psychological factors influence soil C sequestration through land management decisions in tropical homegardens (HGs), a popular agroforestry system in the tropics. This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the theoretical framework to understand homegarden owners’ perceptions on the adoption of five land management practices (i.e., tillage, tree planting, plant residue incorporation, manure usage, and fertilizer applications), which are known to impact C sequestration. Data collected using focus group and household interviews were analyzed by regression statistics. Results indicated that farmers’ decision making processes were most influenced by factors such as ancestors and education, followed by peers, financial condition, and economic importance of the AF land holding. The results of this case study will not only benefit researchers and extension practitioners, but can also contribute to the policy platform to recognize the role of socio-psychological factors in agricultural decision making.
Recommended Citation
Saha, Subhrajit, Taylor V. Stein, P. K. Ramachandran Nair, Michael G. Andreu.
2011.
"The socioeconomic context of carbon sequestration in agroforestry: A case study from homegardens of Kerala, India."
Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agroforestry Systems: 281-298: Springer.
doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-1630-8_16 source: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-1630-8_16 isbn: 978-94-007-1630-8
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/biology-facpubs/236
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