Will farmers intend to cultivate Provitamin A genetically modified (GM) cassava in Nigeria? Evidence from a k-means segmentation analysis of beliefs and attitudes

PLoS One. 2017 Jul 11;12(7):e0179427. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179427. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Analysis of market segments within a population remains critical to agricultural systems and policy processes for targeting new innovations. Patterns in attitudes and intentions toward cultivating Provitamin A GM cassava are examined through the use of a combination of behavioural theory and k-means cluster analysis method, investigating the interrelationship among various behavioural antecedents. Using a state-level sample of smallholder cassava farmers in Nigeria, this paper identifies three distinct classes of attitude and intention denoted as low opposition, medium opposition and high opposition farmers. It was estimated that only 25% of the surveyed population of farmers was highly opposed to cultivating Provitamin A GM cassava.

MeSH terms

  • Cluster Analysis
  • Farmers / psychology*
  • Intention
  • Manihot / genetics
  • Manihot / metabolism*
  • Nigeria
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism*
  • Provitamins / genetics
  • Provitamins / metabolism*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

  • Provitamins

Grants and funding

The author received no specific funding for this work. The survey was conducted while the authors were implementing a larger varietal adoption research in the field.