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Ariel BenYishay U. of New South Wales Mushfiq Mobarak Yale University

Learning from leaders or peers? Experimental evidence on communication and incentives among Malawian farmers. Ariel BenYishay U. of New South Wales Mushfiq Mobarak Yale University. Motivation.

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Ariel BenYishay U. of New South Wales Mushfiq Mobarak Yale University

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  1. Learning from leaders or peers? Experimental evidence on communication and incentives among Malawian farmers Ariel BenYishay U. of New South Wales MushfiqMobarak Yale University

  2. Motivation • Adoption of key ag technologies remains low in many African countries, despite demonstrated large gains Reproduced from Conley (2010)

  3. Motivation • Adoption of key ag technologies remains low in many African countries, despite demonstrated large gains • Pit planting in southern Africa: returns of 50-100% in 1st year (Haggblade and Tembo 2003) • Compost application also has substantial returns for maize production (Nyirongo et al 1999) • Limited adoption: • In our Malawi sample, baseline PP adoption = 1% • Baseline composting adoption = 19%

  4. Why Don’t People Adopt? • Apart from liquidity constraints, intra-household disagreements, risks associated with experimentation, there may be information failures. • Do rural farmers know about the technology? • Do they believe the official message about the benefits of the new technology?

  5. Insufficient information? • Baseline awareness: PP 25%, Compost 54% • Baseline technical knowledge lacking:

  6. Related Literature • Social learning in agriculture: • Foster and Rosenzwieg (1995), Munshi (2004), Conley and Udry (2010), Duflo, Kremer and Robinson (2010), Waddington et al (2011) • Social learning in other contexts: • Job information: Beaman (2009), Magruder (2009) • Deworming: Miguel and Kremer (2007) • Health behaviours: Godlonton and Thornton (2009), Oster and Thornton (2009) • Social promoters: • Kremer et al (2009)

  7. Research Questions • Can social learning be usedto cost-effectively increase the adoption of key technologies? • Does the extent of this learning vary when the information is initially disseminated to individuals of different social stature? • Can relatively small differences in incentives for dissemination of these technologies generate significant differences in social learning?

  8. Historical policy response • Public Departments of Agricultural Extension ubiquitous all over the developing world • Data shows extension workers often lack technical knowledge, farming skills, and communication abilities

  9. Insufficient extension • Access to agricultural extension: • In our sample, 56% of ag extension officer (AEDO) positions staffed, average of 2455 hh/AEDO • Only 32% of households visited by AEDO • How to extend the reach of extension? • Use farmer-led training • “Lead Farmer” model recently adopted in Malawi • We experiment with different variations on selection of these lead farmers

  10. Project Description • Introduce two sustainable technologies to understand diffusion through social networks • Two complementary projects:

  11. Project Design

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