Adoption of vermiculture among indigenous women of Oaxaca’s high Mixtec region, México

Abstract

In 2007 and 2008, 74 indigenous women from six Mixtec communities in the District of Nochixtlán, Oaxaca, were trained in the preparation and use of vermiculture. In 2010 and 2011, a survey was applied to the participating women with the objective of determining the effect of the technological, economic, social and cultural factors on the adoption of vermiculture. The data were analyzed through correlations and multiple regression. The results revealed that 100 % of the women adopted vermiculture, 89.2 % at a high level, 10.8 % at a medium level, and none at the low level. The factors that correlated to Adoption were, from the technological ones, Knowledge of technology (r=0.59) and Relevance of technology (r=0.24); from the social ones, Age (r=–0.53) and Schooling (r=0.45); and from the cultural ones, Language (r=0.41). In the multiple regression model, only Knowledge of technology, Age and Schooling showed that they were defining factors in the Adoption of vermiculture. It is concluded that the training course and economic backing granted were efficient in teaching the vermiculture technique to participating women. It is suggested to have a translator in the local language to improve the teaching.