Socio-economic factors determining on-farm agricultural biodiversity in Ajlun Governorate.

摘要

This study investigates the effect of socio-economic factors on farm agro-biodiversity in Ajlun Governorate, Jordan. Age of farmer and hired labour were found to negatively affect on-farm agro-biodiversity. The negative effect of these two factors might be attributed to farmers' struggle to achieve a minimum level of income and to the poverty prevailing in the region. Thus, any poverty-alleviating programme could improve the situation. However, farm size, irrigated area, family labour, full-time farming, and agro-climatic zones have had a positive effect on farm agro-biodiversity. It is suggested that farm size could be increased by enhancing the Highlands Development Program sponsored by the World Food Program in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and by appropriate policy to prevent further division of holdings. Moreover, irrigated areas could be increased by improving irrigation efficiency and by public awareness of the importance of on-farm water harvesting programmes. Finally, if the society could make agriculture more profitable, then this may lead to increasing the availability of family labour to agriculture and the number of farmers who work on a full-time basis.