Sustainable Environment (Dec 2024)

Perception of urine diverting dry toilet and baobab cultivation in Adaklu District of Ghana

  • Godwin S. A. Horlu,
  • Kenneth F. Egbadzor,
  • Emmanuel Afetorgbor,
  • Asiwome M. Akumah

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2024.2391630
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1

Abstract

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The adoption, of human excreta compost improves soil health and yields of crops. It also supports baobab cultivation, livelihoods, nutrition, and incomes, in a healthy sanitary safe environment. This study examines the farmers’ adoption perception of human excreta compost from the Urine Diversion Dry Toilets (UDDT). It links the compost to the cultivation of early maturing baobab seedlings. It used a random sampling to select 139 respondents from 230 households in 6 communities of Adaklu. We test for the differences between the characteristics of the participants interested in adopting and those with no interest to adopt the two technologies. The study also used a probit model to investigate the influence of the characteristics of the households on the adoption perception of two technologies. The results show that significant differences exist in the ages, cereal, roots, and tuber cultivation as well as the perception of features of baobab seedlings, between the individuals willing to adopt the compost or not. Contrarily, significant differences exist between the age, sex, farm size, cereals, root, and tuber cultivation, as well as the features of the new baobab seedlings between adopters and non-adopters. The probit model results show that years of farming experience, farm size, multiple uses of the baobab and its early fruiting nature exert positive effects on the adoption of the two technologies. Contrarily, the younger people are more likely to accept the technologies more than older ones. Also, formal education is also likely to lead to low adoption of the technologies. Besides, as the male respondents are more likely to adopt the baobab cultivation than the females, larger households could also adopt the compost than the smaller ones. The paper concludes that these factors influence the adoption perception of the respondents and, therefore, recommends that these factors should be considered in promoting the compost and the early maturing baobab seedling adoption.

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