Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption
To fully benefit from new agricultural technologies like improved seed varieties, significant investment in complementary inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and practices such as systematic planting, irrigation, and weeding are also required. Farmers may fail to recognize the importance of t...
| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo preliminar |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
International Food Policy Research Institute
2023
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130294 |
| _version_ | 1855521514536828928 |
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| author | Miehe, Caroline Van Campenhout, Bjorn Nabwire, Leocardia Sparrow, Robert Spielman, David J. |
| author_browse | Miehe, Caroline Nabwire, Leocardia Sparrow, Robert Spielman, David J. Van Campenhout, Bjorn |
| author_facet | Miehe, Caroline Van Campenhout, Bjorn Nabwire, Leocardia Sparrow, Robert Spielman, David J. |
| author_sort | Miehe, Caroline |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | To fully benefit from new agricultural technologies like improved seed varieties, significant investment in complementary inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and practices such as systematic planting, irrigation, and weeding are also required. Farmers may fail to recognize the importance of these complements, leading to unsatisfactory crop yields and outputs and, eventually, dis-adoption of the variety. We provide a simple model of biased expectations, complementary input use and technology adoption and test its predictions using a field experiment among smallholder maize farmers in eastern Uganda. We find that pointing out the importance of complementary investments using a short, engaging video effectively deters some farmers from using commercial improved varieties. Consistent with the theoretical model, we find some evidence that this behavior change emanates from increased knowledge and expectations that are more in line with realized outcomes. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace130294 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1302942025-12-02T21:03:24Z Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption Miehe, Caroline Van Campenhout, Bjorn Nabwire, Leocardia Sparrow, Robert Spielman, David J. agricultural technologies seeds investments fertilizers pesticides planting irrigation weeding farmers crop yield outputs innovation adoption smallholders maize behaviour knowledge To fully benefit from new agricultural technologies like improved seed varieties, significant investment in complementary inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and practices such as systematic planting, irrigation, and weeding are also required. Farmers may fail to recognize the importance of these complements, leading to unsatisfactory crop yields and outputs and, eventually, dis-adoption of the variety. We provide a simple model of biased expectations, complementary input use and technology adoption and test its predictions using a field experiment among smallholder maize farmers in eastern Uganda. We find that pointing out the importance of complementary investments using a short, engaging video effectively deters some farmers from using commercial improved varieties. Consistent with the theoretical model, we find some evidence that this behavior change emanates from increased knowledge and expectations that are more in line with realized outcomes. 2023-05-08 2023-05-09T20:27:51Z 2023-05-09T20:27:51Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130294 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134158 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134925 https://www.ifpri.org/blog/%E2%80%98miracle-seeds%E2%80%99-informational-curses-risk-high-expectations-new-agricultural-technologies Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Miehe, Caroline; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Sparrow, Robert; and Spielman, David J. 2023. Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2183. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136700. |
| spellingShingle | agricultural technologies seeds investments fertilizers pesticides planting irrigation weeding farmers crop yield outputs innovation adoption smallholders maize behaviour knowledge Miehe, Caroline Van Campenhout, Bjorn Nabwire, Leocardia Sparrow, Robert Spielman, David J. Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption |
| title | Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption |
| title_full | Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption |
| title_fullStr | Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption |
| title_full_unstemmed | Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption |
| title_short | Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption |
| title_sort | miracle seeds biased expectations complementary input use and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption |
| topic | agricultural technologies seeds investments fertilizers pesticides planting irrigation weeding farmers crop yield outputs innovation adoption smallholders maize behaviour knowledge |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130294 |
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