This paper analyzes ownership and control of productive resources by gender as determined by culture. This is premised on the fact that past researchers have isolated gender and productive resources on one hand and gender and culture on the other. In this paper, the novelty is the exploration of the interplay among culture, gender and productive resources. Using a descriptive quantitative research design, a simple random sampling was used to select 100 households from a sampling frame of 200 households generated through house listing in three villages from Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire covering ownership, and decision making on selected productive resources and analyzed using Frequency counts, percentages and Chi-square test statistics based on the fact that the variables are categorical. Gender and ownership as well as decision making were cross-tabulated and then layered with culture as a third variable.

Adaptation strategies are considered to be an effective measure to build resilience to the effects of climate change. The agro-weather tools for adaptation to climate smart agriculture were implemented as a pilot project in Embu and Ada’a Districts of Kenya and Ethiopia respectively. Random sampling technique was used to select 360 and 171 farmers from the population of project’s beneficiaries in Kenya and Ethiopia and data collection was carried out with the use of a questionnaire. The overall results show that farming experience and impact of agro-weather information were significant determinants of the use of all the tools. Ownership/access, extension contact, frequency of extension contact and extension agency were significant determinants of the use of short message service (SMS), newsletter, and radio while group membership was a significant determinant of the use of SMS, newsletter, and interactive voice response. The significance of these variables stresses their need in the planning and policy formulation for the use of agro-weather tools for information dissemination.

This study determined professional competence needs of extension workers through the application of the Borich needs assessment model. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 40 respondents from whom data were collected using a structured and face-validated questionnaire containing 40 professional tasks. Professional competence needs were analyzed and ranked using mean weighted discrepancy scores (MWDS). Ability to prepare visual aids to help deliver information (7.23), finding ways to encourage farmers to adopt innovations (7.19), and commitment to extension work (6.88) were the most prominent competences for which there is need for prioritized training for extension officers in the study area.

This article examines the sustainability of livelihoods through urban agriculture (UA): gender dimensions in Accra, Ghana. The population used for the study was the vegetable producers within and around Accra, Ghana. A mix of sampling techniques was followed in choosing UA producers. While a random sampling technique was employed in choosing male UA producers, all female producers who were willing to be interviewed were chosen. In all, 92 male producers and 8 female producers gave consistent responses that were analyzed. The results show that the mean age for male producers is 39.4 years. Female producers are more elderly with a mean age of 49.8 years. The mean year of schooling is 6.4 years for male producers and 7.1 years for female producers. While all the households are involved in irrigated farming, only 13% male and 25% female managed farms practiced irrigated farming alone. The majority of the male and female farmers indicated that high contribution of urban agriculture to their livelihoods. Farm size and access to credit were significant determinants of income from urban agriculture among the respondents.

This paper examined the effect of Micro-Agricultural Financial Institutions of South Africa financial services on livelihood capital of beneficiaries in North West Province South Africa. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 280 respondents from a total of 344 beneficiaries. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from November 2015 to March 2016, which was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) with frequencies, percentages and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results of the study show that there has been a significant change on livelihood assets after MAFISA support. The proportion of access and ownership of livelihood assets increased for most of the indicators of the assets by at least 90% after MAFISA support. Wilcoxon signed-rank test results revealed that access to financial capital from banks improved substantially (Z scores = 15.556; p value = 0.000) and cooperatives (Z score = −11.305; p value = 0.000). Respondents are now able to associate and form some networks with others (Z score = −15.875; p value = 0.000), network with government (Z score = −15.811; p value = 0.000) and network with the private sector (Z score = −15.363; p value = 0.000). The study concludes that access to microfinance leads to significant changes in financial, social, natural, human, physical and social livelihood assets after MAFISA support. The proportion of access and ownership of livelihood assets increased for most of the indicators of the assets by at least 90% after MAFISA support. Statistical significant differences confirmed the changes in the proportion of beneficiaries before and after MAFISA support such as access to financial capital from banks improved substantially and cooperatives, networking with others, network with government and network with the private sector as well as increasing their skills and competencies as well as their physical asset accumulation.

Women engagement and reward systems are vital for rural development as they have a direct consequence on the improvement, equality, as well as accelerating agricultural productivity generally, and increasing food supply in particular at the local and national levels. The study highlighted the contribution of the Award Incentives and Competition (AIC) programme in enhancing women farmers’ economic strength. It also looked at how influence, change and technological know-how could improve women farmers’ participation in development programmes. It provided an overview of the determinants of female entrepreneurship development in rural North West Province using a quantitative survey method approach. One hundred and fifty-six women farmers, who were randomly selected from all districts in the province and different enterprises out of 520 eligible women farmers, participated in the study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential (Probit regression) model. Based on empirical data, the Probit regression model estimates suggested that the educational status, creation of temporary and permanent jobs, and extension sources were some of the determinants of entrepreneurial development in the study area. The study recommends that policymakers continue to advocate for education as female farmers need to participate in development programme(s).