Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi
Agronomic analyses of new technologies are often conducted under carefully controlled research station programs or trials managed by self‐selected farmers. Oftentimes, the technologies are then scaled up with minimal evaluation under real‐world conditions. Yet, the interim step between agronomic tri...
| Autores principales: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Wiley
2017
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/79448 |
| _version_ | 1855520412523298816 |
|---|---|
| author | Haile, Beliyou Azzarri, Carlo Roberts, C. Spielman, David J. |
| author_browse | Azzarri, Carlo Haile, Beliyou Roberts, C. Spielman, David J. |
| author_facet | Haile, Beliyou Azzarri, Carlo Roberts, C. Spielman, David J. |
| author_sort | Haile, Beliyou |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Agronomic analyses of new technologies are often conducted under carefully controlled research station programs or trials managed by self‐selected farmers. Oftentimes, the technologies are then scaled up with minimal evaluation under real‐world conditions. Yet, the interim step between agronomic trials and large‐scale promotion is crucial to generate evidence on the social and economic impact of technologies that is both internally valid and generalizable. The article focuses on a participatory action research program in Malawi designed to test and identify scalable technology options to intensify the smallholder sector and contribute to poverty reduction and food and nutrition security. We examine the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers testing technologies and find evidence of systematic targeting of better‐endowed farmers. After controlling for observable differences using matching and a doubly robust estimator, we find evidence of early positive effects on maize yield and harvest value, although placebo tests suggest possible selection on unobservables. We note that attention should be given to program design and household characterization to better define and improve targeting criteria, technology selection, and external validity. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace79448 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| publisherStr | Wiley |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace794482025-02-24T06:45:34Z Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi Haile, Beliyou Azzarri, Carlo Roberts, C. Spielman, David J. agriculture innovation research intensification policies seeds technology households maize smallholders nutrition harvesting food security development programmes agronomy Agronomic analyses of new technologies are often conducted under carefully controlled research station programs or trials managed by self‐selected farmers. Oftentimes, the technologies are then scaled up with minimal evaluation under real‐world conditions. Yet, the interim step between agronomic trials and large‐scale promotion is crucial to generate evidence on the social and economic impact of technologies that is both internally valid and generalizable. The article focuses on a participatory action research program in Malawi designed to test and identify scalable technology options to intensify the smallholder sector and contribute to poverty reduction and food and nutrition security. We examine the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers testing technologies and find evidence of systematic targeting of better‐endowed farmers. After controlling for observable differences using matching and a doubly robust estimator, we find evidence of early positive effects on maize yield and harvest value, although placebo tests suggest possible selection on unobservables. We note that attention should be given to program design and household characterization to better define and improve targeting criteria, technology selection, and external validity. 2017-05 2017-01-30T15:13:09Z 2017-01-30T15:13:09Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/79448 en http://purl.umn.edu/211697 https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbab054 Open Access Wiley Haile, B., Azzarri, C., Roberts, C. and Spielman, D.J. 2016. Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi. Agricultural Economics 48:1-10 |
| spellingShingle | agriculture innovation research intensification policies seeds technology households maize smallholders nutrition harvesting food security development programmes agronomy Haile, Beliyou Azzarri, Carlo Roberts, C. Spielman, David J. Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi |
| title | Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi |
| title_full | Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi |
| title_short | Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing-country agriculture: Evidence from Malawi |
| title_sort | targeting bias and expected impact of complex innovations on developing country agriculture evidence from malawi |
| topic | agriculture innovation research intensification policies seeds technology households maize smallholders nutrition harvesting food security development programmes agronomy |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/79448 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hailebeliyou targetingbiasandexpectedimpactofcomplexinnovationsondevelopingcountryagricultureevidencefrommalawi AT azzarricarlo targetingbiasandexpectedimpactofcomplexinnovationsondevelopingcountryagricultureevidencefrommalawi AT robertsc targetingbiasandexpectedimpactofcomplexinnovationsondevelopingcountryagricultureevidencefrommalawi AT spielmandavidj targetingbiasandexpectedimpactofcomplexinnovationsondevelopingcountryagricultureevidencefrommalawi |