The Future of Smallholder Farming in Eastern Africa - Uganda ...

3.5.3 Model of Environmental Degradation
In addition to the model of agricultural productivity, a Tobit Model was developed for
environmental degradation. This model can be provided as:
( s, g,
f , L,
χ,
r,
v I )
D = Ω
,
where variable description is as above except for:
r= access to market (1=impassible to 4=very good);
v=vegetation cover (type);
I= average income of the household (annual); and
D= environmental degradation (1=none to 5=v. serious)
3.5.4 Model of Investment in Land Improvement (Conservation)
In order to establish the main determinants of investment in land improvement or
environmental conservation, a Logit model was developed. This was due to the dummy
nature of the dependent variables. The main land improvement methods such as terracing,
drainage development, agro-forestry, tree crops and stump removal were considered. The
dependent variables included sex of the land user; income level of the household; parcel
size; soil type; existence of labour constraint; education level of the land user; main
occupation of the land user; and existence of title deed.
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Basic Findings
4.1.1 Household Characteristics
The study undertaken in Suba and Laikipia districts with a sample size of 310, (150 from
Suba and 160 from Laikipia), showed that about 52 percent of the households were headed
by monogamous males, 23 percent were headed by polygamous males and 22 percent by
female. It was also noted that about 74 percent of the female heads of households were
widowed. The average family size was 5 children, with the maximum of 17.
4.1.2 Tenure System
Only 3 percent of the respondents occupied communally owned land, about one percent
occupied state land and the rest were under individual tenure system (Table 2).