Gendered behavioral drivers in the adoption and sustained use of improved common bean varieties in Eastern Uganda

Understanding farmers’ behavior is critical to designing effective training and extension services that increase access to and sustain the use of improved crop varieties. However, a critical gap remains in how to target behavioral change processes effectively. The study explored gender-specific behavioral drivers of access to and sustained use of high-quality common bean seeds in Eastern Uganda. An ordered logit model was used to analyse data collected from 323 common bean men and women farmers. Results indicate that women had greater access to and sustained use of improved common bean varieties. Men and women had equal access to information and training in improved common bean seeds but differed significantly in their perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of the varieties. Regression estimates showed that farmer-to-farmer and peer learning, as well as the perceived net benefits of improved common bean varieties, increased both men’s and women’s access to and sustained use of improved varieties. Training significantly influenced women’s seed access and use behavior, while access to information increased the probability of adoption and continued use among men. Men perceived that gender norms greatly influenced their decisions to adopt common bean varieties. These findings highlight the need for capacity building on the benefits of gender transformative approaches that address gender norms, information dissemination, farmer-to-farmer learning, on-farm experimentation to encourage sustained use of improved common bean varieties.