A Framework for Adopting ICT-Based Services Among Coffee Farmers in Uganda: Case Study of Bugisu Subregion in Bugisu

Abstract

While information and communication technology (ICT)-based services would help address most of the challenges faced by the coffee farmers and improve coffee production in Bugisu region, there are several challenges that hinder the adoption and use of ICT-based services among coffee farmers in Bugisu region.

This study, therefore, assessed the technological challenges associated with the adoption of ICT-based services among coffee farmers in Bugisu region and examined the technological, organizational, and environmental factors that facilitate the successful adoption of ICT among coffee farmers in Bugisu subregion in Bugisu.

Twenty-three participants including coffee farmers, extension workers, and Bugisu cooperative union leaders were involved in the study. Both interview and focus group discussions were utilized for data collection. The study used content analysis to determine the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts from the field data.

The study found out that lack of electricity, inadequate ICT infrastructure, high cost of ICT software and hardware, and high ICT illiteracy rates were some of the challenges faced by coffee farmers in Bugisu region. This chapter, therefore, presents a TOE framework for successful adoption of ICT among coffee farmers in Bugisu subregion in Bugisu.