Farmers’ adoption and perceptions of the benefits of intercropping coffee trees with bananas: Evidence from Rwanda

Coffee and banana are major cash and food crops for small-scale farmers in Rwanda. Coffee‒banana intercropping system has been identified to be less risky for farmers since the chance of simultaneous crop failure is low. In addition, this farming system is highly feasible and sustainable as two crops complement each other in terms of shade and nutrient uptake. This paper aims at examining farmers’ perceptions of the benefits of intercropping with coffee trees and bananas and identify factors that determine the adoption decisions. The study used data collected from 296 smallholders producing coffee and banana in Rwanda. The analysis was done using ordered probit regression and binary logistic regression models. The ordered probit regression results show that age, education, land tenure, livestock ownership, and drought stress variables significantly enhance the likelihood of perceiving the benefits of coffee‒banana intercropping system. The results from the binary logistic regression model show that age, household size, and drought stress positively affect the adoption decisions for the coffee‒banana intercropping system, while gender, group membership, and farm size decrease the likelihood of adoption. Results imply the need for policy to strengthen rural education to promote and create awareness about the benefits of coffee‒banana intercropping system.