One question I can think of is: if you use dead plant matter from your land for a cover crop to improve your soil structure and nutrient content, won't that promote pests and disease through cross-contamination?  Is composting beforehand a more sanitary solution? ANd for water conservation I would ask: If you use sprinklers daily to water your crops, how much of that water really reaches where you want it to go without zero waste? Wouldn't a drip irrigation line save more time, money and water in the long term?

Not exactly an answer but we have found how disease affects small farmers' work as follows:

Oladepo OO, Brieger WR, Otusanya S, Kale O, Offiong S and Titiloye M. Farm land size and onchocerciasis status of peasant farmers in southwestern Nigeria. Tropical Medicine and International Health 1997; 2(4): 334-340.

16. Brieger WR, Guyer J. Farmers' loss due to guineaworm disease: a pilot study. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1990; 93: 106 111.

35. Otusanya SA, Brieger WR, Titiloye B, Salami KK, Adespoe A. Ethnic Variations in Health Seeking Behaviours and Attitudes between Fulani Herders and Yoruba Farmers in Southwestern Nigeria. Tropical Doctor 2007; 37(3): 184-5

... for copies please write [email protected]

Dear Zerihun,

How are you going to use this data/information? Are you planning to build an econometric model or is it a simulation model, i.e. mathematical programming model. This is important because it requires a different way of looking art the issue and different kinds of information to get a handle on the issue of real time preference and risk aversion (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40140171_Bio-economic_Household_Modelling_for_Agricultural_Intensification?ev=prf_pub).

On a more general level. Some researcher use gaming approaches to elicit time preferences and risk aversion. These techniques depend critically on the set-up of the game and the wording of the instructions. Different setup and wording can lead to radically different results.

In your specific case what are the risks you want to get a handle on. I can imagine that in the case of SWC in Ethiopia, land tenure security and the risk of not being able to reap the results of investments is an issue. If this is the case and you are looking for the determinants of investment behavior, it is easier to stick to the underlying causes of risk and uncertainty (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/50353671_Does_land_tenure_security_matter_for_investment_in_soil_and_water_conservation_Evidence_from_Kenya?ev=prf_pub).

Article Bio-economic Household Modelling for Agricultural Intensification

Article Does land tenure security matter for investment in soil and ...

In addition to the aforementioned recommendations I think it might be useful to think about your understanding of "time". A reading that inspired me was:

Slawinski/Bansal 2012: "A Matter of Time: The Temporal Perspectives of Organizational Responses to Climate Change", Organization Studies 33, 11, 1537-1563 

http://oss.sagepub.com/content/33/11/1537.abstract

Can I suggest to have a look at the following:

Article Climate Change: Believing and Seeing Implies Adapting

Article Understanding risk in forest ecosystem services: Implication...

Hi,

Perhaps this research can help you:

Article Time Preference, Executive Functions, and Ego-Depletion: An ...

Best wishes

Yaakov

Article Time Preferences of Older People With Mild Cognitive Impairment