Determinants of fertiliser overuse by coffee farmers in Daklak province of Vietnam

Abstract

This paper is to address two questions: (1) whether or not the farmers overuse chemical fertilisers in the comparison with the scientifically-recommended levels, and (2) why these farmers behave in the way that is ecologically unsustainable. The study concludes that households with small farm sizes, female heads, and more hired labour are more likely to over-intensify their coffee farms with chemical fertilisers. These findings suggest that policies towards sustainable agricultural intensification should fully cover to small and fragmented farms, should target to women farmers with information on optimal fertiliser use, and should integrate with other policies related to migration into the region.