![The Journal of e-Science Letters [ISSN 3041-5454 (Online)]](https://scienceletters.researchfloor.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/logo.jpg){kind=logo}
Recent Developments in Water-Smart Irrigation Technologies for Smallholder Farmers
Introduction The growing challenges posed by climate change, water scarcity, and increasing food demands have necessitated the adoption of efficient water management systems in agriculture, particularly among smallholder farmers who…
The Digital Supply Chain: Challenges and Opportunities in Industry 4.0
1. Introduction The global supply chain landscape has undergone a profound transformation over the last two decades, driven largely by the increasing complexity of markets, rapid advancements in technology, and…
International Review of Advanced Learning and Teaching Technologies
1. Introduction The education sector has undergone significant transformations in recent years, largely due to the rapid development of learning technologies. The integration of digital tools, platforms, and innovative technologies…
Emerging Trends and Innovations in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Technologies
Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science have emerged as transformative forces, revolutionizing the way industries operate and fostering groundbreaking innovations across the globe. These technologies have become integral to…
Employing Code-Switching in the English Language Teaching at a Higher Learning Institution
1. INTRODUCTION Code-switching is a sociolinguistic phenomenon that has garnered substantial attention from scholars in the past two decades. It involves the integration of two or more languages in day-to-day …
The Impact Of CSR Initiatives On The Development Of Rural Areas In India: A Conceptual Study
The vast majority of India's poorest people live in neglected, underdeveloped villages with poor people.The difficulties of poor health, hunger, high mortality, ignorance, and illiteracy are acute in most rural…
Hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers in Sidama, Ethiopia
Introduction Inflammation of the liver caused by hepatitis C virus is hepatitis C infection. Acute and chronic forms of hepatitis C, ranging from mild sickness to severe, long-term infections including…
A Review On Gender Socio-Economic Attributes And The Adoption Of Improved Oil Palm Production Technologies In The Southern Region Of Nigeria
Introduction Inthe1960s,Nigeria’sagriculturalsectorwasthemostimportantintermsofitscontributionstodomesticproduction,employmentandforeignexchangeearnings.Nigeriabeforethediscoveryofcrudeoilinthe1950’swastheworld’slargestproducerofoilpalm(Elaeisguineensis)apositionnowoccupiedbyMalaysia[1].Oilpalmproductionwasoneofthevitalareasofagriculturethatattractedtheforeignexchangeearningscontributing48percentofGDPbetween1980and1982andfallingto45percentbytheendofthe1990’s[2].However,thefigureofoilpalm’scontributiondeclinedtoabout40percentofGDPand2percentoftotalexportearningsbytheendofthe1970s.Thisdwindlingtrendintheoilpalmproductionisalwaysattributedtothediscoveryofcrudeoilandgovernmentsshiftofattentionfromtheagriculturalsectortocrudeoilexploration.Thisassertioncannotbe overlooked but drawsattentionto the fact that otherareasthatarepotentialfactorstoimprovethe dwindlingtrend, needstobeaddressed.Areassuchastheefficiencyoftheextensionservicedelivery,laginthedisseminationofinnovationsfromtheresearchstationstothefarmers,genderissuesinagricultureandproperfarmereducationnecessaryfortheadoptionofimprovedtechnologiesareimportanttobeaddressed.Thisreviewthereforedrawsattentiontogendersocio-economicattributesthatareimportanttobeconsideredintheadoptionprocessinagricultureespeciallyasitrelatestooilpalmproduction. Oilpalmproductionpassesthroughactivitiesthatrequiretheeffortsandcollaborationofbothmenandwomenformaximumoutput.Theroleofbothgenderscouldbeeithercomplimentaryorsupportivetoachievehighproductivity.Accordingto[3],genderisasociallyconstructedroledifferencesbetweenmenandwomenforthepurposeofallocatingpowers,duties,status,responsibilitiesandroleinanygivensocialcontext.Genderisaresultofsocializationintoamanorwomanrolewhichascribescertainbehavioursaccordingtosocio-culturalnormsforone’ssex[4].Accordingto[5],genderdealswiththesocialrelationshipbetweenmenandwomenandhowtheserelationshipsarenegotiatedintheproductionofgoodsandservices.ThesocialrelationshipbetweenmenandwomenwillplayoutandcomplementeachotherintheadoptionofimprovedoilpalmtechnologiessuchastheadoptionoftheTeneraoilpalmvarietywhichisahybridofthePisiferaandtheDuravarieties.Theconsiderationofgendersocio-economicattributesthereforebecomesimperative. 2.LiteratureReview Thissectionprovidesa reviewofrelatedliteratureongenderrelatedconcepts,genderinagricultureandsocioeconomicattributesofgenderandhowitinfluencestheadoptionofimprovedoilpalmproductiontechnologiesinNigeria 2.1TheConceptofGender Accordingto[6],theconceptofgenderincludestheexpectationsheldaboutthecharacteristics,aptitudesandlikelybehaviourofwomenandmen.Genderrolesandexpectationsarelearnedandcanchangeovertimeandvarywithinandbetweencultures.Systemsofsocialdifferentiationsuchaspoliticalstatus,class,ethnicity,physicalandmentaldisability,ageandmore,modifygenderroles[7].Theconceptofgenderisvitalbecause,appliedtosocialanalysis;itrevealshowwomen’ssubordinationormen’sdominationissociallyconstructed.Assuch,thesubordinationcanbechangedorendedUNESCO[6].Genderisnotbiologicallypredeterminednorisitfixedforever.Sexdescribesthebiologicaldifferencesbetweenmenandwomen,whichareuniversalanddeterminedatbirthandtechnicallydifferentfromgender. Gendersystemsareinstitutionalizedthrougheducationsystems,politicalandeconomicsystems,legislation,cultureandtraditions.Inutilizingagenderapproach,thefocusisnotonindividualwomenandmenbutonthesystemwhichdeterminesgenderrolesandresponsibilities,accesstoandcontroloverresources,anddecision-makingpotentials.Itisalsoimportanttoemphasizethattheconceptofgenderisnotinterchangeablewithwomen.Genderreferstobothwomenandmen,andtherelationsbetweenthem. 2.2TheConceptofAdoption Adoptionmeansthatapersondoessomethingdifferentlythanwhattheyhadpreviously(purchaseoruseanewproduct,acquireandperformanewbehavior,etc.)done.Thekeytoadoptionisthatthepersonmustperceivetheidea,behaviour,orproductasneworinnovative.Itisthroughthisthatdiffusionispossible[8].Adoptionofanewidea,behavior,orproduct(innovation)doesnothappensimultaneouslyinasocialsystem;ratheritisaprocesswherebysomepeoplearemoreapttoadopttheinnovationthanothers.Researchershavefoundthatpeoplewhoadoptaninnovationearlyhavedifferentcharacteristicsthanpeoplewhoadoptaninnovationlater.Whenpromotinganinnovationtoatargetpopulation,itisimportanttounderstandthecharacteristicsofthetargetpopulationthatwillhelporhinderadoptionoftheinnovation.Therearefiveestablishedadoptercategories,andwhilethemajorityofthegeneralpopulationtendstofallinthemiddlecategories,itisstillnecessarytounderstandthecharacteristicsofthetargetpopulation. 2.3GenderandTechnologyAdoption Inaddressingtheinfluenceofgenderintheadoptionofagriculturaltechnology,itispertinenttoconsiderthematerialfactorsthatcouldpossiblyinfluencegenderinmakingthedecisiontoadoptorrejectaninnovation.Genders’accesstopowerandauthority,andcontroloversuchfactorsmaydeterminetheextentofadoption.Suchmaterialfactorsasaccesstoland,creditfacility;accesstootherinputsasfertilizer,labourandextensioncontactarevitalintheadoptiondecision.Thefemininegender,mostoftenthannot,havelessaccesstothesematerialfactorscomparedtothemasculinegender.Accordingto[9],womeninNigeriaformanactiveandreservelabourforcebutrarelyownthemeansofproduction.Furthermore,[10]reportedthatmenandwomenmaizefarmersinGhanadonotenjoyequalaccesstolandandtoagriculturalextensionservices.Thissuggeststhatdisparityinthegenders’ownershipandaccesstotheseproductionresourcesmayrestrictadoptionofinnovationbythefemininegender. GenderrolesarecrucialforagriculturaldevelopmentandtheattainmentoftheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs).Thedefinitionofgenderusedinthisresearchistheeconomic,social,political,andculturalattributesandopportunitiesassociatedwithbeingmanorwoman.ThisreviewalsousesthedefinitionintheGlobalMonitoringReport2007ongender,whichmeansequalaccesstothe“opportunitiesthatallowpeopletopursuealifeoftheirownchoosingandtoavoidextremedeprivationsinoutcomes,”highlightinggenderequalityinrights,resources,andvoice[11].Genderissuesmustbeaddressedindevelopmentstudiesforvariousandobviousreasons.First,genderdimensioniscrucialforeconomicreasonsandfromtheefficiencypointofview.Thisisespeciallytrueintheagriculturesector,wheregenderinequalitiesinaccesstoandcontroloverresourcesarepersistent,underminingasustainableandinclusivedevelopmentofthesector.Second,equityordistributionalissuesarerelatedtogenderdifferencesinoutcomes. 3.GenderSocio-economicAttributesandAdoptionofImprovedOilPalmTechnologies Socio-economiccharacteristicsexplaintheattributes(age,sex,householdsize,education,literacy,income,farmsize,landownership,maritalstatus,farmingexperienceetc)ofthefarmerthathaveinfluenceontheactivitiesofthefarmersintheirlocalenvironment.Asidesex,allotherattributesofthefarmerareacquireddirectlyorindirectlyandaresubjecttochangeovertime.Socio-economiccharacteristicslikeeducation,income,farmsize,landownershipandmaritalstatuspositsanindividualinaruralcommunityasresponsible,respectable,influentialandhasthepotentialsofbringingpositivechange.Examiningthesocioeconomiccharacteristicsoffarmersinaresearchgivestheresearcheraclearprofileanda betterperspectiveofthefarmersthatshouldnotbeneglectedaspossibleinfluentialfactors.Theybringtotheforethebackground,affiliations,dispositionsandorientationsofthefarmerswhoarethemajorfocusofagriculturalresearch.Socio-economiccharacteristicsinagenderstudywillpointoutareasofdisparityingenderissuesthatneedspecificattention. Insomeculture,womenarenotallowedtoownsomeinputresourcesasagainsttheirmencounterparts.Accordingto[12],womeninArochukwuLocalGovernmentAreaofAbiaStatearenotallowedtoownoilpalmplantation.Thisthereforepreventsmostlywomeninthatareafromowninglandandotherresources.Thissinglesocialmisjudgmentleadstothelooseofvaluablecontributionsandbenefitsthatwouldhaveaccruedtothecommunityifbothmenandwomenaregivenequalfreedomtoexerciseandexploretheirpotentials. 3.1AgeandAdoption Ageisanimportantattributeofthefarmer.Agemeasuredbythenumberofyearsfrombirthafarmerhasspentalive,influencesthelevelofthoughtanddisposition.Anolderfarmerisexpectedtohavemoreexperienceinfarmingandthereforethepossibilityofacceptinginnovation.Theageofthefarmerwillalsodisposehimtoacquisitionofmaterialresources.Intheirreport,[13]revealedthatthemeanageofthefarmersinoilpalmproductioninNigeriawasabout45yearsandexplainedthatthismaybeattributedtothefactthatoilpalmproductionislandintensiveandonlyolderfarmersmayhaveacquiredthesizeoflandneededforitsproduction.Inseparatereports[14]and[15]confirmedthatNigerianfarmersarewithintheagebracketof40-60years.Thiscouldadverselyaffectthelevelofoutputbecauseoftheinactivenatureoftheelderly.Theyfurthernotedthatyoungfarmersareneededonfarmsbecauseagriculturalproductionisenergydemandingespeciallyoilpalmproduction.[16],assertedthattheabilityofafarmertotakeriskandbeinnovativedecreaseswithage.Thisimpliesthatyoungerfarmersbyvirtueoftheirstrengthandabilitywillhavehigherprospectforincreasedadoptionoftechnologyandenhancedproductivity. Accordingto[17],agricultureinAfricaisdominatedbyoldpeoplewhomheexplainedlackenthusiasmandstrengthwhichresultstothemengagingintraditionalsubsistencecultivationthatgivespoorreturns.…
Local Rice Consumption and Attributes considered in Urban Ghana: Does Internal Migration Matter?
Rice is the second most important cereal after maize and is increasingly a main part of the diet in many Ghanaian homes due to its relative convenience in preparation and…