Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi

This study evaluates the impact of Africa RISING, a large-scale sustainable intensification (SI) program that has been implemented in Central Malawi’s Dedza and Ntcheu districts beginning in 2012. Using a participatory action research framework, the program validated and promoted alternative SI opti...

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Main Authors: Haile, Beliyou, Azzarri, Carlo, Boukaka, Sedi Anne, Vitellozzi, Sveva, Chikowo, Regis
Format: Informe técnico
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140242
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author Haile, Beliyou
Azzarri, Carlo
Boukaka, Sedi Anne
Vitellozzi, Sveva
Chikowo, Regis
author_browse Azzarri, Carlo
Boukaka, Sedi Anne
Chikowo, Regis
Haile, Beliyou
Vitellozzi, Sveva
author_facet Haile, Beliyou
Azzarri, Carlo
Boukaka, Sedi Anne
Vitellozzi, Sveva
Chikowo, Regis
author_sort Haile, Beliyou
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This study evaluates the impact of Africa RISING, a large-scale sustainable intensification (SI) program that has been implemented in Central Malawi’s Dedza and Ntcheu districts beginning in 2012. Using a participatory action research framework, the program validated and promoted alternative SI options including fertilized maize, maize-legume intercropping, intercropping of two compatible legumes, cereal-legume rotation, and double-row planting of legumes. Impact is estimated on several SI indicators and domains using two rounds of panel data and difference-in-differences techniques. The unique study design allowed us to estimate impact by comparing outcomes among program beneficiaries with two different counterfactual groups—one located inside program villages (within village comparison) and another in non-program (control) villages (out-of-village comparison). We also conduct a placebo test comparing non-beneficiaries in the two counterfactual groups. The within-village comparison shows positive impact on several agricultural and economic indicators including access to agricultural information, value of harvest, on-farm diversity, labor productivity, annual net household income, per capita household consumption expenditure, household wealth, commercial orientation, and household dietary diversity score. We do not find a statistically significant impact on human indicators such as child and maternal nutrition. Estimates based on within-village, out-of-village, and placebo comparisons suggest important insights about the challenges in assessing the impact of agricultural programs in general and, specifically, participatory multi-intervention programs in the presence of sample (self-)selection and spillovers. Our study highlights important lessons learned to inform future program design and impact assessments.
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spelling CGSpace1402422025-11-06T05:58:14Z Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi Haile, Beliyou Azzarri, Carlo Boukaka, Sedi Anne Vitellozzi, Sveva Chikowo, Regis extension programmes fertilizers sustainable development nutrition intercropping climate change dietary diversity This study evaluates the impact of Africa RISING, a large-scale sustainable intensification (SI) program that has been implemented in Central Malawi’s Dedza and Ntcheu districts beginning in 2012. Using a participatory action research framework, the program validated and promoted alternative SI options including fertilized maize, maize-legume intercropping, intercropping of two compatible legumes, cereal-legume rotation, and double-row planting of legumes. Impact is estimated on several SI indicators and domains using two rounds of panel data and difference-in-differences techniques. The unique study design allowed us to estimate impact by comparing outcomes among program beneficiaries with two different counterfactual groups—one located inside program villages (within village comparison) and another in non-program (control) villages (out-of-village comparison). We also conduct a placebo test comparing non-beneficiaries in the two counterfactual groups. The within-village comparison shows positive impact on several agricultural and economic indicators including access to agricultural information, value of harvest, on-farm diversity, labor productivity, annual net household income, per capita household consumption expenditure, household wealth, commercial orientation, and household dietary diversity score. We do not find a statistically significant impact on human indicators such as child and maternal nutrition. Estimates based on within-village, out-of-village, and placebo comparisons suggest important insights about the challenges in assessing the impact of agricultural programs in general and, specifically, participatory multi-intervention programs in the presence of sample (self-)selection and spillovers. Our study highlights important lessons learned to inform future program design and impact assessments. 2023-12-01 2024-03-14T12:09:09Z 2024-03-14T12:09:09Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140242 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137003 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137007 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute International Livestock Research Institute International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Haile, Beliyou; Azzarri, Carlo; Boukaka, Sedi-Anne; Vitellozzi, Sveva; and Chikowo, Regis 2023. Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi. Washington, DC; Nairobi, Kenya; Ibadan, Nigeria: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI); International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137004.
spellingShingle extension programmes
fertilizers
sustainable development
nutrition
intercropping
climate change
dietary diversity
Haile, Beliyou
Azzarri, Carlo
Boukaka, Sedi Anne
Vitellozzi, Sveva
Chikowo, Regis
Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi
title Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi
title_full Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi
title_fullStr Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi
title_short Impacts of Africa RISING in Malawi
title_sort impacts of africa rising in malawi
topic extension programmes
fertilizers
sustainable development
nutrition
intercropping
climate change
dietary diversity
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140242
work_keys_str_mv AT hailebeliyou impactsofafricarisinginmalawi
AT azzarricarlo impactsofafricarisinginmalawi
AT boukakasedianne impactsofafricarisinginmalawi
AT vitellozzisveva impactsofafricarisinginmalawi
AT chikoworegis impactsofafricarisinginmalawi