Self-efficacy and entrepreneurship of upland agroforestry farmers in Pooc 2, Silang, Cavite, Philippines

The objectives of the study were as follows: to characterize the different case farmer-entrepreneurs; to describe the transactions of the farmer with his family, community and biophysical environment as sources of self-efficacy; and to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurship. Three successful farmer-entrepreneurs served as cases for the study. Data were gathered through in-depth interview of the farmer-entrepreneurs and key informants, review of documents, and observation. The farmer-entrepreneurs were married and had children. Their wives and children supported them in their agricultural enterprises. Through hardwork, they achieved upward mobility in their endeavors. The families and community members praised the case farmers for their achievements in agroforestry. Agroforestry was appropriate in their community due to favorable topography, soil and climate. The farmers became successful entrepreneurs because they were able to obtain a high level of self-efficacy drawn from their transactions with their family, community and biophysical setting. The dimensions of self-efficacy were enactive mastery experience, vicarious experience and verbal persuasion. Enactive mastery experience was reflected in their effort to come up with better strategies after failures, mastery of tasks, belief in their ability to achieve, effective means to cope with failures, confidence in times of difficulties and monitoring of their progress to satisfy themselves. Their vicarious experience allowed them to compare themselves with other farmers, identify competent models and develop knowledge and skills from their models. Verbal persuasion included persuasion by their family, friends and relatives on their various enterprises, praises for the improvements they achieved through their own effort and feedback. The farmers became successful entrepreneurs as indicated by financial success and social recognition. As entrepreneurs, they were risk takers/independent, were alert to market opportunities, learned from challenged by mistakes, had passion for farming and had many achievements. The study showed the applicability of self-efficacy and entrepreneurship in an agroforestry setting by including social, biological and physical factors. Moreover, it illustrated that success in agroforestry-based enterprises can be achieved through the self-efficacy of the case farmers.