Dynamics of Rural Society Journal

Determinants of smallholder farmers’ responsiveness to agroecological practices and principles in Ethiopia, Kenya and Madagascar

Max Olupot, Oladimeji Idowu Oladele — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Smallholder farmers across East Africa face significant challenges in fully adopting agroecological practices, despite their demonstrated benefits for soil health, biodiversity, water conservation, and farm resilience. This study examined the determinants of smallholder farmers' responsiveness to agroecological principles and practices in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Madagascar using a sample of 993 farmers. A multi-stakeholder cross-sectional survey was conducted using a detailed, structured, and expert-validated questionnaire administered to smallholder farmers, considering multidimensional variation at both the farm and system levels. Multiple regression analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were employed to explore the underlying dimensions of adoption and predictors of responsiveness. The results revealed substantial variation across countries. In Kenya, farmers implemented 12 or more principles, whereas in Madagascar and Ethiopia, adoption was moderate, with lower uptake of agroecological principles. Farmer Field Schools (FFS) influenced adoption primarily through social learning, whereby farmers collaboratively experiment, observe outcomes, and share experiences, rather than through top-down technology transfer. Regression analysis showed that knowledge co-creation, education level, agroecology-specific land use, and incentives for participation in and sharing of agroecological practices were significant predictors of responsiveness, while structural constraints played a moderating role. These findings highlight the need to prioritize extension models that are inclusive, participatory, and adaptive, linking farmer education, locally appropriate land-use strategies, and targeted incentives to overcome structural barriers and ensure agroecology delivers both ecological resilience and improved livelihoods. PCA extracted seven components—ecological practices, extension methods, social learning, institutional enhancements, experiential knowledge, adoption behaviors, and gender/culture—which explained 63.38% of the total variance. The study concludes that farmers' responsiveness to agroecological principles is shaped by a dynamic interplay of structural, behavioral, and institutional factors. Strengthening participatory extension systems, co-creation platforms, and incentive frameworks can enhance uptake. These findings provide evidence-based insights for designing context-specific interventions to accelerate agroecological transitions towards sustainable agriculture.

Governance fragmentation and food security in South Africa’s Upper Umzimvubu River catchment: A network governance perspective

Betty Claire Mubangizi — Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

The Upper uMzimvubu River catchment in South Africa’s Eastern Cape faces persistently low food productivity, driven by land degradation and the escalating impacts of climate change. This study investigates how governance dynamics shape food security outcomes on rural communal land, focusing on the potential of collaborative, multi-level, and networked governance approaches to address systemic vulnerabilities and enhance local food production. Using a review-based methodology grounded in both empirical insights and scholarly literature on food governance, the research applies a network governance framework to examine how state and non-state actors coordinate interventions in the food security landscape. The findings indicate that food insecurity in the catchment arises not only from environmental and socio-economic stressors but is also exacerbated by fragmented governance, policy incoherence, and institutional weaknesses. In this context, civil society networks play a central role in polycentric governance, often bridging gaps left by formal institutions. The study advocates a decentralised, participatory, and integrated model of food security governance, emphasising secure land tenure, climate-resilient development planning, and improved coordination among diverse stakeholders. By integrating perspectives from environmental governance, rural development, and land tenure studies, this research provides a transdisciplinary lens on food insecurity. It demonstrates how combining policy analysis, local knowledge, and institutional theory can foster collaboration among academics, policymakers, and civil society actors, ultimately enabling more effective responses to the complex challenges of rural food insecurity in South Africa.

Harmony and hierarchy: A decolonial social psychological analysis of rural community life in Indonesia

Gautam Makwana — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0800

This comprehensive review article analyzes the social psychology of rural community life in Indonesia, examining how cultural ideals of harmony and social hierarchy shape interpersonal behavior, identity formation, and community norms. Despite growing scholarly interest, existing research remains fragmented across disciplines and has not been critically synthesized through a decolonial lens that treats indigenous psychological constructs on their own terms. To address this gap, a systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines across the Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Garuda databases. The inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2014 and 2024 that focused on rural Indonesian communities. Thematic synthesis, guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2021) framework and incorporating a decolonial analytical lens, was applied to the 52 included studies. Three main findings emerged. First, gotong royong (mutual cooperation) functions both as a mechanism of social cohesion and as a tool of informal social control. Second, rasa malu (socially oriented shame) operates as a pre-emptive regulatory emotion that enforces conformity but suppresses mental health help-seeking. Third, tahu diri (knowing one’s place) maintains age and gender hierarchies while facing challenges from youth migration and digital media. Theoretically, this review advances understanding by reconceptualizing harmony and hierarchy as integrated, dynamic psychological strategies for navigating interdependent social ecologies. The findings cautiously suggest that community-based, culturally attuned approaches may enhance mental health and development policies, although these implications require further empirical testing through intervention research.

From formal regulation to local practice: Water governance and community vulnerability among forest-fringe communities in Sumedang, Indonesia

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Water governance is particularly important in forest-fringe communities where households depend on spring water while access and management are mediated by multiple formal and community-based institutions. This study examines how formal regulatory authority over water resources is translated into local governance arrangements and shapes community access and vulnerability. A qualitative case study was conducted in Kadakajaya and Genteng Villages, Sumedang Regency, West Java, Indonesia, focusing on spring water sources located within or adjacent to forest areas managed by Perhutani, a state-owned forestry enterprise. The study integrates qualitative content analysis of national legal instruments within the 2014–2021 regulatory corpus with field research conducted from March to October 2024. Primary data were collected through field observations, semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected informants from the community and local institutions, and two focus group discussions involving community water-user groups, village officials, and local stakeholders. The focus group discussions also included participatory water-source mapping. The findings show that Indonesia’s regulatory framework establishes state responsibility for water-resource regulation and management while recognizing people’s rights to water for basic daily needs and providing a basis for community participation. Locally, however, formal authority is mediated through fragmented institutional arrangements involving Perhutani, village governments, the regional public water utility (PDAM), and community water-user groups. Community arrangements known as paten play an important role in everyday water distribution and infrastructure maintenance but have more limited influence over broader allocation and inter-institutional decisions. Vulnerability is shaped not only by dependence on particular springs and distribution systems but also by institutional access, coordination, and the capacity to influence decisions. From a structuration perspective, community agency sustains everyday water-governance practices within an uneven distribution of authoritative and allocative resources. The study identifies an institutional mediation gap between formal regulatory authority and local water-governance practices as a key governance challenge.