Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar

Agricultural extension can have important impacts on vulnerable populations by increasing food production, which improves both rural incomes and urban food security. Yet, crises induced by violent conflict or disease outbreaks can sever the connections between extension agents and farmers. Understan...

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Autores principales: Goeb, Joseph, Maredia, Mywish K., Herrington, Caitlin, Zu, A Myint
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140188
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author Goeb, Joseph
Maredia, Mywish K.
Herrington, Caitlin
Zu, A Myint
author_browse Goeb, Joseph
Herrington, Caitlin
Maredia, Mywish K.
Zu, A Myint
author_facet Goeb, Joseph
Maredia, Mywish K.
Herrington, Caitlin
Zu, A Myint
author_sort Goeb, Joseph
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Agricultural extension can have important impacts on vulnerable populations by increasing food production, which improves both rural incomes and urban food security. Yet, crises induced by violent conflict or disease outbreaks can sever the connections between extension agents and farmers. Understanding how agricultural extension systems can safely and effectively reach farmers in times of crisis could help stabilize agri-food systems in fragile states. In the context of COVID-19, a military coup, and an emergent threat of fall armyworm in Myanmar, this paper uses a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of two cellphone-based extension interventions – a direct-to-farmer and a lead farmer intervention – for fall armyworm control in maize. Despite low compliance, both interventions caused knowledge improvements. However, damage control estimates show that the lead-farmer group used pesticides most effectively. Similar cellphone-based lead-farmer programs could be an effective tool in fragile states and when faced with emergent threats to agriculture.
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institution CGIAR Consortium
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publishDate 2023
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spelling CGSpace1401882025-11-06T05:59:17Z Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar Goeb, Joseph Maredia, Mywish K. Herrington, Caitlin Zu, A Myint income rural population food production agricultural extension shock coronavirus covid-19 farmers fall armyworms randomized controlled trials maize agriculture coronavirinae agrifood systems pesticides food security coronavirus disease mobile units Agricultural extension can have important impacts on vulnerable populations by increasing food production, which improves both rural incomes and urban food security. Yet, crises induced by violent conflict or disease outbreaks can sever the connections between extension agents and farmers. Understanding how agricultural extension systems can safely and effectively reach farmers in times of crisis could help stabilize agri-food systems in fragile states. In the context of COVID-19, a military coup, and an emergent threat of fall armyworm in Myanmar, this paper uses a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of two cellphone-based extension interventions – a direct-to-farmer and a lead farmer intervention – for fall armyworm control in maize. Despite low compliance, both interventions caused knowledge improvements. However, damage control estimates show that the lead-farmer group used pesticides most effectively. Similar cellphone-based lead-farmer programs could be an effective tool in fragile states and when faced with emergent threats to agriculture. 2023-05-23 2024-03-14T12:09:03Z 2024-03-14T12:09:03Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140188 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Goeb, Joseph; Maredia, Mywish K.; Herrington, Caitlin; and Zu, A Myint. 2023. Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar. Myanmar SSP Working Paper 36. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136713.
spellingShingle income
rural population
food production
agricultural extension
shock
coronavirus
covid-19
farmers
fall armyworms
randomized controlled trials
maize
agriculture
coronavirinae
agrifood systems
pesticides
food security
coronavirus disease
mobile units
Goeb, Joseph
Maredia, Mywish K.
Herrington, Caitlin
Zu, A Myint
Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar
title Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar
title_full Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar
title_fullStr Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar
title_full_unstemmed Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar
title_short Agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats: Effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in Myanmar
title_sort agricultural extension in times of crisis and emergent threats effectiveness of a fall armyworm information intervention in myanmar
topic income
rural population
food production
agricultural extension
shock
coronavirus
covid-19
farmers
fall armyworms
randomized controlled trials
maize
agriculture
coronavirinae
agrifood systems
pesticides
food security
coronavirus disease
mobile units
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140188
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AT herringtoncaitlin agriculturalextensionintimesofcrisisandemergentthreatseffectivenessofafallarmyworminformationinterventioninmyanmar
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