{"title":"Show and tell: farmer field days and learning about inputs with heterogeneous yield effects","authors":"David M. A Murphy, Dries Roobroeck, David R Lee","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad042","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Organic inputs can be effective in reversing soil degradation and improving crop yields, but are often underused in a developing country context. This study seeks to determine whether farmer field days (FFDs) are effective in disseminating information about novel organic inputs, and the extent to which they increase demand for these products. Using experimental auctions to measure willingness to pay (WTP) among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya, we find that those farmers exposed to information from FFDs related to biochar and vermicompost, novel organic inputs, have lower WTP for the products. We present evidence that this is likely driven by two factors in particular: changes in perceptions of input profitability and heterogeneity in yields across demonstration plots within field day sites.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":"242 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad042","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS & POLICY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Organic inputs can be effective in reversing soil degradation and improving crop yields, but are often underused in a developing country context. This study seeks to determine whether farmer field days (FFDs) are effective in disseminating information about novel organic inputs, and the extent to which they increase demand for these products. Using experimental auctions to measure willingness to pay (WTP) among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya, we find that those farmers exposed to information from FFDs related to biochar and vermicompost, novel organic inputs, have lower WTP for the products. We present evidence that this is likely driven by two factors in particular: changes in perceptions of input profitability and heterogeneity in yields across demonstration plots within field day sites.
期刊介绍:
The European Review of Agricultural Economics serves as a forum for innovative theoretical and applied agricultural economics research.
The ERAE strives for balanced coverage of economic issues within the broad subject matter of agricultural and food production, consumption and trade, rural development, and resource use and conservation. Topics of specific interest include multiple roles of agriculture; trade and development; industrial organisation of the food sector; institutional dynamics; consumer behaviour; sustainable resource use; bioenergy; agricultural, agri-environmental and rural policy; specific European issues.
Methodological articles are welcome. All published papers are at least double peer reviewed and must show originality and innovation. The ERAE also publishes book reviews.