Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adoption of organic fertilization is low among farmers in rural areas of Ethiopia, affecting yields and general food security in the region. This study aimed to identify the determinants of the utilization of organic fertilizers among smallholder farmers in the South Gondar Zone, Amhara National Regional State (ANRS), Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was used among smallholder farmers in the South Gondar Zone, ANRS, Northwest Ethiopia. Primary data were collected from 420 sample respondents using multistage sampling with a combination of both simple random and cluster sampling techniques. The binary logistic regression model was used to assess the use of organic fertilizers among smallholder farmers in the South Gondar Zone. The results are presented as adjusted odds ratios (AOR) together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: head of household age (AOR = 1.099, 95% CI 1.018-1.187), married marital status (AOR = 10.506, 95% CI 1.355-81.427), literate head of household (AOR = 3.323, 95% CI 1.571-7.029), number of laborers (AOR = 1.442, 95% CI 1.060-1.962), farming experience (AOR = 1.132, 95% CI 1.041-1.232), farm size (AOR = 1.063, 95% CI 1.008-1.121), and number of livestock (AOR = 1.368, 95% CI 1.115-1.677) were positively associated with the utilization of organic fertilizer while single marital status (AOR = 0.062, 95% CI 0.004-0.851), cost of laborer (AOR = 0.965, 95% CI 0.951-0.978), household income (AOR = 0.880, 95% CI 0.824-0.939), medium soil fertility (AOR = 0.039, 95% CI 0.007-0.229), fertile soil (AOR = 0.020, 95% CI 0.003-0.120), and home to farm distance (AOR = 0.219, 95% CI 0.067-0.717) were negatively associated with the utilization of organic fertilizer. CONCLUSIONS: This finding showed that multiple variables have an effect to determining the use of organic fertilizer by smallholder farmers. Therefore, the finding is important to adopt programs to encourage the use of organic fertilizer, implement policies in an attempt to adapt the use of organic fertilizer among the South Gondar Zone, and critically consider these factors. Furthermore, extension workers should focus on raising awareness about the importance of organic fertilizers to encourage or expand their use among smallholder farmers.