Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Economics

Advisor/Mentor

Farmer, Amy

Abstract

Behavioral Bottlenecks in Belizean Smallholder Farming: An Action Plan investigates why Belizean smallholders hesitate to adopt new practices informed by a two-month internship with the Ministry of Agriculture at the Stann Creek branch. During the internship, a seventeen-page bilingual farm plan outline integrating SMART goals, a standard business plan, and farming essentials relevant to the local culture and environment was designed and developed. The Farm Plan Outline is grounded in observations in goal-setting theory, risk aversion under price uncertainty, and knowledge gap literature (AKIS/AKAP) tailored by smallholder Belizean contexts. Farmers were assisted with the Sustainable & Inclusive Belize Program grant application, which subsidizes 85% of costs for smallholder farms. Qualitative data indicates that limited digital literacy coupled with psychological and knowledge barriers presents a significant behavioral bottleneck. This thesis recommends addressing this through workshops linked to current subsidization programs to improve and impact knowledge, profit, and yields. This thesis shows the potential to overcome such adoption barriers by weaving behavioral insight with existing social strata.

Keywords

Belize; Smallholder Farming; Behavioral Economics; Knowledge Gaps; Goal Setting; Psychology

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