Explaining Farmers' Decisions to Abandon Traditional Varieties of Crops: Empirical Results from Ethiopia and Implications for On-Farm Conservation

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the factors that trigger farmers to abandon certain traditional varieties of crops. The article uses survey data collected from 395 farmers in Northern Ethiopia. The results suggest that traditional varieties can be abandoned due to “push” and “pull” factors. Decision makers, therefore, have to act on both of these factors to address agro-biodiversity loss and improve farmers' livelihoods.