9 - Effective Knowledge Transmission and Learning in Agriculture: Evidence from a Randomised Training Experiment in Ethiopia
Corresponding Author(s) : Hiwot Mesfin
Africa Development,
Vol. 48 No. 1 (2023): Africa Development
Abstract
In this article, we discuss a study to identify an effective agricultural knowledge transfer channel for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, using a randomised training experiment together with focus group discussions, key informant interviews and a survey. We also examine the factors that determine learning among smallholder farmers. Our results revealed that involving extension agents and model farmers leads to above-average knowledge transfer. However, learning from extension agents is significantly more effective than learning from model farmers. Additionally, we found that trust, effort, and locus of control are important determinants of learning. On the other hand, we found no evidence that farmers exert more effort when they are trained by extension agents, hence this rules out effort as a mechanism for higher learning from the extension agents. Based on these results, we conclude that, on average, the extension agent system is more effective at conveying agricultural knowledge than model farmers are and that policy-makers can use the two channels as complements rather than substitutes.
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- Abay, K.A., Blalock, G. and Berhane, G., 2017, Locus Of Control And Technology Adoption In Developing Country Agriculture: Evidence From Ethiopia, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organisation, Vol. 143, pp. 98–115.
- Anderson, J. R. and Feder, G., 2004, Agricultural Extension: Good Intentions And Hard Realities, The World Bank Research Observer, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 41–60.
- Asfaw, A. and Admassie, A., 2004, The Role Of Education On The Adoption Of Chemical Fertiliser Under Different Socioeconomic Environments In Ethiopia, Agricultural Economics, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 215–228.
- Asfaw, S., Shiferaw, B., Simtowe, F. and Haile, M., 2011, Agricultural Technology Adoption, Seed Access Constraints And Commercialisation In Ethiopia, Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, Vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 436–477.
- Awokuse, T. O., 2009, Does agriculture really matter for economic growth in developing countries? Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, 28 July 2009. Available online at https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/7130483.pdf.
- Belissa, T., Bulte, E., Cecchi, F., Gangopadhyay, S. and Lensink, R., 2019, Liquidity Constraints, Informal Institutions, And The Adoption Of Weather Insurance: A Randomised Controlled Trial in Ethiopia, Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 140, pp. 269–278.
- BenYishay, A. and Mobarak, A. M., 2019, Social Learning And Incentives For Experimentation And Communication, The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 86, No. 3, pp. 976–1009.
- Berhanu, K. and Poulton, C., 2014, The Political Economy Of Agricultural Extension Policy In Ethiopia: Economic Growth And Political Control, Development Policy Review, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. s197–s213.
- Bernard, T., Taffesse, A. S. and Dercon, S., 2008, Aspirations Failure And Well-Being Outcomes, Paper presented at In Ethiopia: Towards An Empirical Exploration, in Improving Institutions for Growth workshop, Oxford, UK, March (Vol. 21).
- Birkhaeuser, D., Evenson, R. E. and Feder, G., 1991, The Economic Impact Of Agricultural Extension: A Review, Economic Development And Cultural Change, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 607–650.
- Bjørnskov, C., 2012, How Does Social Trust Affect Economic Growth?, Southern Economic Journal, Vol. 78, Vol. 4, pp. 1346–1368.
- Buck, S. and Alwang, J., 2011, Agricultural Extension, Trust, And Learning: Results From Economic Experiments In Ecuador, Agricultural Economics, Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 685–699.
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 2020, The World Factbook, Washington DC: CIA. Available online at https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/.
- Chen, J. C. and Silverthorne, C., 2008, The Impact Of Locus Of Control On Job Stress, Job Performance And Job Satisfaction In Taiwan, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 29, No. 7, pp. 572–582.
- Christiaensen, L., Demery, L. and Kuhl, J., 2006, The Role Of Agriculture In Poverty Reduction An Empirical Perspective, Washington DC: The World Bank.
- Cole, S. and Fernando, A. N., 2012, The Value Of Advice: Evidence From Mobile Phone-Based Agricultural Extension, Harvard Business School Working Paper No. 13-047. Available online at https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/10007889/13-047.pdf?sequence=1.
- Conley, T. G. and Udry, C. R., 2010, Learning About A New Technology: Pineapple in Ghana, American Economic Review, Vol. 100, No. 1, pp. 35–69.
- Croppenstedt, A., Demeke, M. and Meschi, M. M., 2003, Technology Adoption In The Presence Of Constraints: The Case Of Fertiliser Demand In Ethiopia, Review of Development Economics, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 58–70.
- Dercon, S., Gilligan, D. O., Hoddinott, J. and Woldehanna, T., 2009, The impact Of Agricultural Extension And Roads On Poverty And Consumption Growth In Fifteen Ethiopian Villages, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 91, No. 4, pp. 1007–1021.
- Duflo, E., Kremer, M. and Robinson, J., 2008, How High Are Rates Of Return To Fertiliser? Evidence From Field Experiments In Kenya, American Economic Review, Vol. 98, No. 2, pp. 482–88.
- Duflo, E., Kremer, M. and Robinson, J., 2011, Nudging Farmers To Use Fertiliser: Theory And Experimental Evidence From Kenya, American Economic Review, Vol. 101, No. 6, pp. 2350–90.
- Feder, G. and Slade, R., 1986, The Impact Of Agricultural Extension: The Training And Visit System In India, The World Bank Research Observer, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 139–161.
- Fuglie, K., Gautam, M., Goyal, A. and Maloney, W. F., 2019, Harvesting Prosperity: Technology and Productivity Growth In Agriculture, Washington DC: The World Bank.
- Gebremedhin, B., Hoekstra, D. and Tegegne, A., 2006, Commercialization of Ethiopian agriculture: Extension service from input supplier to knowledge broker and facilitator, IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian farmers project, Nairobi: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Available online at https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/564/CommerciaIPMSWorkingPaper_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
- Godtland, E.M., Sadoulet, E., Janvry, A. D., Murgai, R. and Ortiz, O., 2004, The impact of farmer field schools on knowledge and productivity: A study of potato farmers in the Peruvian Andes, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 63–92.
- Hailemichael, S. and Haug, R., 2020, The Use And Abuse Of The ‘Model Farmer’approach In Agricultural Extension In Ethiopia, The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, Vol. 25, No. 5, pp. 1–20.
- Khan, Z.R., Pickett, J. A., Berg, J. V. D., Wadhams, L. J. and Woodcock, C. M., 2000, Exploiting Chemical Ecology And Species Diversity: Stem Borer And Striga Control For Maize And Sorghum In Africa, Pest Management Science: Formerly Pesticide Science, Vol. 56, No. 11, pp. 957–962.
- Knack, S. and Keefer, P., 1997, Does Social Capital Have An Economic Payoff? A Cross-Country Investigation, The Quarterly Journal Of Economics, Vol. 112, No. 4, pp. 1251–1288.
- Kondylis, F., Mueller, V. and Zhu, J., 2017, Seeing is believing? Evidence From An Extension Network Experiment, Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 125, pp. 1–20.
- Krishnan, P. and Patnam, M., 2013, Neighbours And Extension Agents In Ethiopia: Who Matters More For Technology Adoption? American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 96, No. 1, pp. 308–327.
- Liu, E.M., 2013, Time To Change What To Sow: Risk Preferences And Technology Adoption Decisions Of Cotton Farmers In China, Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 95, No. 4, pp. 1386–1403.
- Maunder, A., 1972, Agricultural Extension. A Reference Manual, Geneva: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
- Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H. and Schoorman, F. D., 1995, An Integrative Model Of Organisational Trust, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 709–734.
- Owens, T., Hoddinott, J. and Kinsey, B., 2003, The Impact Of Agricultural Extension On Farm Production In Resettlement Areas Of Zimbabwe, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 337–357.
- Pan, Y., Smith, S. C. and Sulaiman, M., 2018, Agricultural Extension And Technology Adoption For Food Security: Evidence from Uganda, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 100, No. 4, pp. 1012–1031.
- Piatek, R. and Pinger, P., 2010, Maintaining (Locus Of) Control? Assessing The Impact Of Locus Of Control On Education Decisions And Wages, ZEW and IZA Discussion Paper, No. 5289, Bonn: IZA. Available online at http://ftp.iza.org/dp5289.pdf.
- Pingali, P. L., 2012, Green revolution: Impacts, Limits, And The Path Ahead, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 109, No. 31, pp. 12302–12308.
- Ragasa, C., 2019, Modeling the effectiveness of the lead farmer approach in agricultural extension service provision: Nationally representative panel data analysis in Malawi, IFPRI Discussion Paper 1848, Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
- Rashid, S., Tefera, N., Minot, N. and Ayele, G., 2013, Fertilizer in Ethiopia: An Assessment Of Policies, Value Chain, And Profitability, IFPRI Discussion Paper 1304, Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
- Rogers, E. M. and Shoemaker, F. F., 1971, Communication of Innovations; A Cross-Cultural Approach, New York: Free Press.
- Rotter, J. B., 1990, Internal versus external control of reinforcement: A case history of a variable, American Psychologist, Vol. 45, No. 4, p.489.
- Ryan, B. and Gross, N., 1950, Acceptance And Diffusion Of Hybrid Corn Seed In Two Iowa Communities, Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station Research Bulletin, Vol. 29, No. 372, Art. 1.
- Sako, M., 2006. Does trust improve business performance, in Kramer, M., ed., 2007, Organisational Trust: A Reader, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 267–294.
- Savastano, S. and Feder, G., 2006, The Role Of Opinion Leaders In The Diffusion Of New Knowledge: The Case Of Integrated Pest Management, Washington DC: The World Bank.
- Smucker, G. R., White, T. A. and Bannister, M., 2000, Land Tenure And The Adoption Of Agricultural Technology In Haiti, CAPRi Working Paper No. 6, Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Available online at https://www.capri.cgiar.org/files/pdf/capriwp06.pdf.
- Tessema, Y. M., Asafu-Adjaye, J., Kassie, M. and Mallawaarachchi, T., 2016, Do Neighbours Matter In Technology Adoption? The Case Of Conservation Tillage In Northwest Ethiopia, African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 211-225.
- True, A.C., 1928, A History Of Agricultural Extension Work In The United States, 1785–1923, No. 15, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office.
- Weber, J. G., 2012, Social Learning And Technology Adoption: The Case Of Coffee Pruning in Peru, Agricultural Economics, Vol. 43, pp.73–84.
- Young, H. P., 2009, Innovation diffusion In Heterogeneous Populations: Contagion, social Influence, And Social Learning, American Economic Review, Vol. 99, No. 5, pp.1899–1924.
References
Abay, K.A., Blalock, G. and Berhane, G., 2017, Locus Of Control And Technology Adoption In Developing Country Agriculture: Evidence From Ethiopia, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organisation, Vol. 143, pp. 98–115.
Anderson, J. R. and Feder, G., 2004, Agricultural Extension: Good Intentions And Hard Realities, The World Bank Research Observer, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 41–60.
Asfaw, A. and Admassie, A., 2004, The Role Of Education On The Adoption Of Chemical Fertiliser Under Different Socioeconomic Environments In Ethiopia, Agricultural Economics, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 215–228.
Asfaw, S., Shiferaw, B., Simtowe, F. and Haile, M., 2011, Agricultural Technology Adoption, Seed Access Constraints And Commercialisation In Ethiopia, Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, Vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 436–477.
Awokuse, T. O., 2009, Does agriculture really matter for economic growth in developing countries? Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, 28 July 2009. Available online at https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/7130483.pdf.
Belissa, T., Bulte, E., Cecchi, F., Gangopadhyay, S. and Lensink, R., 2019, Liquidity Constraints, Informal Institutions, And The Adoption Of Weather Insurance: A Randomised Controlled Trial in Ethiopia, Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 140, pp. 269–278.
BenYishay, A. and Mobarak, A. M., 2019, Social Learning And Incentives For Experimentation And Communication, The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 86, No. 3, pp. 976–1009.
Berhanu, K. and Poulton, C., 2014, The Political Economy Of Agricultural Extension Policy In Ethiopia: Economic Growth And Political Control, Development Policy Review, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. s197–s213.
Bernard, T., Taffesse, A. S. and Dercon, S., 2008, Aspirations Failure And Well-Being Outcomes, Paper presented at In Ethiopia: Towards An Empirical Exploration, in Improving Institutions for Growth workshop, Oxford, UK, March (Vol. 21).
Birkhaeuser, D., Evenson, R. E. and Feder, G., 1991, The Economic Impact Of Agricultural Extension: A Review, Economic Development And Cultural Change, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 607–650.
Bjørnskov, C., 2012, How Does Social Trust Affect Economic Growth?, Southern Economic Journal, Vol. 78, Vol. 4, pp. 1346–1368.
Buck, S. and Alwang, J., 2011, Agricultural Extension, Trust, And Learning: Results From Economic Experiments In Ecuador, Agricultural Economics, Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 685–699.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 2020, The World Factbook, Washington DC: CIA. Available online at https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/.
Chen, J. C. and Silverthorne, C., 2008, The Impact Of Locus Of Control On Job Stress, Job Performance And Job Satisfaction In Taiwan, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 29, No. 7, pp. 572–582.
Christiaensen, L., Demery, L. and Kuhl, J., 2006, The Role Of Agriculture In Poverty Reduction An Empirical Perspective, Washington DC: The World Bank.
Cole, S. and Fernando, A. N., 2012, The Value Of Advice: Evidence From Mobile Phone-Based Agricultural Extension, Harvard Business School Working Paper No. 13-047. Available online at https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/10007889/13-047.pdf?sequence=1.
Conley, T. G. and Udry, C. R., 2010, Learning About A New Technology: Pineapple in Ghana, American Economic Review, Vol. 100, No. 1, pp. 35–69.
Croppenstedt, A., Demeke, M. and Meschi, M. M., 2003, Technology Adoption In The Presence Of Constraints: The Case Of Fertiliser Demand In Ethiopia, Review of Development Economics, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 58–70.
Dercon, S., Gilligan, D. O., Hoddinott, J. and Woldehanna, T., 2009, The impact Of Agricultural Extension And Roads On Poverty And Consumption Growth In Fifteen Ethiopian Villages, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 91, No. 4, pp. 1007–1021.
Duflo, E., Kremer, M. and Robinson, J., 2008, How High Are Rates Of Return To Fertiliser? Evidence From Field Experiments In Kenya, American Economic Review, Vol. 98, No. 2, pp. 482–88.
Duflo, E., Kremer, M. and Robinson, J., 2011, Nudging Farmers To Use Fertiliser: Theory And Experimental Evidence From Kenya, American Economic Review, Vol. 101, No. 6, pp. 2350–90.
Feder, G. and Slade, R., 1986, The Impact Of Agricultural Extension: The Training And Visit System In India, The World Bank Research Observer, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 139–161.
Fuglie, K., Gautam, M., Goyal, A. and Maloney, W. F., 2019, Harvesting Prosperity: Technology and Productivity Growth In Agriculture, Washington DC: The World Bank.
Gebremedhin, B., Hoekstra, D. and Tegegne, A., 2006, Commercialization of Ethiopian agriculture: Extension service from input supplier to knowledge broker and facilitator, IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian farmers project, Nairobi: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Available online at https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/564/CommerciaIPMSWorkingPaper_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
Godtland, E.M., Sadoulet, E., Janvry, A. D., Murgai, R. and Ortiz, O., 2004, The impact of farmer field schools on knowledge and productivity: A study of potato farmers in the Peruvian Andes, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 63–92.
Hailemichael, S. and Haug, R., 2020, The Use And Abuse Of The ‘Model Farmer’approach In Agricultural Extension In Ethiopia, The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, Vol. 25, No. 5, pp. 1–20.
Khan, Z.R., Pickett, J. A., Berg, J. V. D., Wadhams, L. J. and Woodcock, C. M., 2000, Exploiting Chemical Ecology And Species Diversity: Stem Borer And Striga Control For Maize And Sorghum In Africa, Pest Management Science: Formerly Pesticide Science, Vol. 56, No. 11, pp. 957–962.
Knack, S. and Keefer, P., 1997, Does Social Capital Have An Economic Payoff? A Cross-Country Investigation, The Quarterly Journal Of Economics, Vol. 112, No. 4, pp. 1251–1288.
Kondylis, F., Mueller, V. and Zhu, J., 2017, Seeing is believing? Evidence From An Extension Network Experiment, Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 125, pp. 1–20.
Krishnan, P. and Patnam, M., 2013, Neighbours And Extension Agents In Ethiopia: Who Matters More For Technology Adoption? American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 96, No. 1, pp. 308–327.
Liu, E.M., 2013, Time To Change What To Sow: Risk Preferences And Technology Adoption Decisions Of Cotton Farmers In China, Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 95, No. 4, pp. 1386–1403.
Maunder, A., 1972, Agricultural Extension. A Reference Manual, Geneva: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H. and Schoorman, F. D., 1995, An Integrative Model Of Organisational Trust, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 709–734.
Owens, T., Hoddinott, J. and Kinsey, B., 2003, The Impact Of Agricultural Extension On Farm Production In Resettlement Areas Of Zimbabwe, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 337–357.
Pan, Y., Smith, S. C. and Sulaiman, M., 2018, Agricultural Extension And Technology Adoption For Food Security: Evidence from Uganda, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 100, No. 4, pp. 1012–1031.
Piatek, R. and Pinger, P., 2010, Maintaining (Locus Of) Control? Assessing The Impact Of Locus Of Control On Education Decisions And Wages, ZEW and IZA Discussion Paper, No. 5289, Bonn: IZA. Available online at http://ftp.iza.org/dp5289.pdf.
Pingali, P. L., 2012, Green revolution: Impacts, Limits, And The Path Ahead, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 109, No. 31, pp. 12302–12308.
Ragasa, C., 2019, Modeling the effectiveness of the lead farmer approach in agricultural extension service provision: Nationally representative panel data analysis in Malawi, IFPRI Discussion Paper 1848, Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Rashid, S., Tefera, N., Minot, N. and Ayele, G., 2013, Fertilizer in Ethiopia: An Assessment Of Policies, Value Chain, And Profitability, IFPRI Discussion Paper 1304, Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Rogers, E. M. and Shoemaker, F. F., 1971, Communication of Innovations; A Cross-Cultural Approach, New York: Free Press.
Rotter, J. B., 1990, Internal versus external control of reinforcement: A case history of a variable, American Psychologist, Vol. 45, No. 4, p.489.
Ryan, B. and Gross, N., 1950, Acceptance And Diffusion Of Hybrid Corn Seed In Two Iowa Communities, Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station Research Bulletin, Vol. 29, No. 372, Art. 1.
Sako, M., 2006. Does trust improve business performance, in Kramer, M., ed., 2007, Organisational Trust: A Reader, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 267–294.
Savastano, S. and Feder, G., 2006, The Role Of Opinion Leaders In The Diffusion Of New Knowledge: The Case Of Integrated Pest Management, Washington DC: The World Bank.
Smucker, G. R., White, T. A. and Bannister, M., 2000, Land Tenure And The Adoption Of Agricultural Technology In Haiti, CAPRi Working Paper No. 6, Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Available online at https://www.capri.cgiar.org/files/pdf/capriwp06.pdf.
Tessema, Y. M., Asafu-Adjaye, J., Kassie, M. and Mallawaarachchi, T., 2016, Do Neighbours Matter In Technology Adoption? The Case Of Conservation Tillage In Northwest Ethiopia, African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 211-225.
True, A.C., 1928, A History Of Agricultural Extension Work In The United States, 1785–1923, No. 15, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office.
Weber, J. G., 2012, Social Learning And Technology Adoption: The Case Of Coffee Pruning in Peru, Agricultural Economics, Vol. 43, pp.73–84.
Young, H. P., 2009, Innovation diffusion In Heterogeneous Populations: Contagion, social Influence, And Social Learning, American Economic Review, Vol. 99, No. 5, pp.1899–1924.