Agricultural diversification in Rio das Contas river basin, Bahia state, Brazil

The main objective of this article was to describe and analyze the adoption of agricultural diversification mechanisms for farmers in the Rio das Contas River Basin, Bahia. Three indices of agricultural diversity were calculated: Margalef, Shannon and Herfindahl. In addition, the socioeconomic determinants of agricultural diversification were analyzed through a Tobit econometric model. The results show that the majority of farmers depend on the income obtained from agriculture and/or livestock, with little off-farm diversification. In addition, most farmers diversify on-farm. However, the calculated indices indicate that this diversification is still low. Finally, access to credit and technical assistance and the fact of living on the property influence positively crop diversification.