Effect of Farmers’ Multidimensional Beliefs on Adoption of Biofortified Crops Evidence from Sweetpotato Farmers in Tanzania

We examined the effect of multidimensional farmers’ beliefs on the likelihood of cultivating planting materials of biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) varieties. Using a panel dataset and combining difference-in-differences regression with propensity score matching, results showed positiv...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia, Okello, J.J., Sindi, K., Low, Jan W., McEwan, M.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Informa UK Limited 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/90959
Descripción
Sumario:We examined the effect of multidimensional farmers’ beliefs on the likelihood of cultivating planting materials of biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) varieties. Using a panel dataset and combining difference-in-differences regression with propensity score matching, results showed positive effects of beliefs related to health benefits, yielding ability, sweetness, disease-resistance, storability, early maturity, colour, and that children enjoy eating OFSP roots, on cultivation of OFSP varieties. The proportion of OFSP roots out of total sweetpotato production for a household increased among farmers’ who held these beliefs. Efforts to promote biofortified crops can, therefore, benefit from taking farmers’ multidimensional beliefs into consideration.