Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia

In the absence of well-established factor markets, the roles of indigenous institutions and social networks as mobilizing factors for agricultural production can be substantial. We investigate the role of an indigenous social network in Ethiopia, the iddir, in facilitating factor market transactions...

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Main Authors: Abay, Kibrom A., Kahsay, Goytom A, Berhane, Guush
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150268
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author Abay, Kibrom A.
Kahsay, Goytom A
Berhane, Guush
author_browse Abay, Kibrom A.
Berhane, Guush
Kahsay, Goytom A
author_facet Abay, Kibrom A.
Kahsay, Goytom A
Berhane, Guush
author_sort Abay, Kibrom A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In the absence of well-established factor markets, the roles of indigenous institutions and social networks as mobilizing factors for agricultural production can be substantial. We investigate the role of an indigenous social network in Ethiopia, the iddir, in facilitating factor market transactions among smallholder farmers. Using detailed longitudinal household survey data and employing a difference-in-differences approach, we find that iddir membership improves households’ access to factor markets. Specifically, we find that by joining an iddir network, households’ access to land, labor, and credit improves between 7 and 11 percentage points. Furthermore, our findings indicate that iddir networks crowd-out borrowing from local moneylenders (locally referred as Arata Abedari), a relatively expensive credit source, virtually without affecting borrowing from formal credit sources. These results improve our understanding of the role informal market arrangements, such as social networks, can play in mitigating factor market inefficiencies in poor rural markets. The results also have important policy implications for designing alternative policy measures which aim to improve these markets.
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spelling CGSpace1502682025-12-08T10:29:22Z Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia Abay, Kibrom A. Kahsay, Goytom A Berhane, Guush data social networks crowding-out In the absence of well-established factor markets, the roles of indigenous institutions and social networks as mobilizing factors for agricultural production can be substantial. We investigate the role of an indigenous social network in Ethiopia, the iddir, in facilitating factor market transactions among smallholder farmers. Using detailed longitudinal household survey data and employing a difference-in-differences approach, we find that iddir membership improves households’ access to factor markets. Specifically, we find that by joining an iddir network, households’ access to land, labor, and credit improves between 7 and 11 percentage points. Furthermore, our findings indicate that iddir networks crowd-out borrowing from local moneylenders (locally referred as Arata Abedari), a relatively expensive credit source, virtually without affecting borrowing from formal credit sources. These results improve our understanding of the role informal market arrangements, such as social networks, can play in mitigating factor market inefficiencies in poor rural markets. The results also have important policy implications for designing alternative policy measures which aim to improve these markets. 2015-02-20 2024-08-01T02:51:14Z 2024-08-01T02:51:14Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150268 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150180 https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2017.1288224 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ethiopian Development Research Institute Abay, Kibrom A.; Kahsay, Goytom A; Berhane, Guush. 2015. Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia. ESSP II Research Note 37. Washington, DC and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Food Policy Research Institute and Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150268
spellingShingle data
social networks
crowding-out
Abay, Kibrom A.
Kahsay, Goytom A
Berhane, Guush
Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia
title Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia
title_full Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia
title_fullStr Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia
title_short Synopsis: Social networks and factor markets: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia
title_sort synopsis social networks and factor markets panel data evidence from ethiopia
topic data
social networks
crowding-out
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150268
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