Effects of access to livelihood capitals on adoption of European Union (EU) approved pesticides among cocoa‑producing households in Osun State, Nigeria

Cocoa producing households’ access to livelihood capitals would help them to adopt EU approved pesticides successfully. However, no empirical studies have addressed these issues. This study therefore investigated the effects of access to livelihood capitals on adoption of EU approved pesticides among cocoa producing households. A multi stage sampling procedure was employed to select 120 cocoa producing households for the study. The obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics, multivariate probit regression and double hurdle regression model. The majority of cocoa producing households (92%) have access to natural capital, followed by physical capital (67.5%), social capital (62.5%), financial capital (58%), whereas only a few (50.8%) have access to human capital. Multivariate probit estimates showed that age (p < 0.05), gender (p < 0.05), farm size (p < 0.05), years of education (p < 0.01), farming experience (p < 0.01), household size (p < 0.01) and membership in cooperative society (p < 0.01) significantly influenced cocoa producing households’ access to livelihood capitals. The majority of cocoa producing households (81%) adopt approved pesticides. The first hurdle estimates showed that gender (p < 0.01), education (p < 0.05), membership in a cooperative society (p < 0.05) and access to some livelihood capitals such as human (p < 0.01), physical (p < 0.05) and financial (p < 0.01) capitals significantly influence the probability of adoption of EU approved pesticides. In the second hurdle, gender (p < 0.1), farm size (p < 0.01), household size (p < 0.01), membership in a cooperative society (p < 0.01)and access to some livelihood capitals such as human (p < 0.05), physical (p < 0.01) and social (p < 0.01) capitals are significant in determining the intensity of adopting EU approved pesticides. The study concluded that access to livelihood capitals has potentials of accelerating adoption of EU approved pesticides. Other factors include gender, education, farm size and membership in a cooperative society. Therefore, this study suggests that government policy on uptake of EU approved pesticides should pay more attention on cocoa producing households’ access to all these factors. Most importantly, policy package to encourage access to livelihood capitals must be strongly advocated.