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Linking Smallholders to the New Agricultural Economy: An Evaluation of the Plataformas Program in Ecuador

Author

Listed:
  • Romina Cavatassi

    (Agricultural and Development Economics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization)

  • Mario González

    (Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC)

  • Paul Winters

    (American University, Washington, DC)

  • Jorge Andrade-Piedra

    (International Potato Center, Quito, Ecuador)

  • Graham Thiele

    (International Potato Center, Lima, Peru)

  • Patricio Espinosa

    (International Potato Centre, Quito, Ecuador)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of participation in multi-stakeholder platforms (Plataformas) aimed at linking smallholder potato farmers to the market in the mountain region of Ecuador. It describes and evaluates the Plataformas’ program to determine whether it has been successful in linking farmers to higher-value markets and the effects that such connections have brought, particularly with regard to farmers’ welfare and to the environment. The analysis is run comparing a set of different and carefully constructed control groups to beneficiaries and using various specifications. Results are strongly consistent across the different specifications and are sound across the counterfactuals, suggesting impacts are adequately identified. Findings suggest that the program was successful in improving the welfare of beneficiaries, while potential negative environmental impacts, particularly with relation to agrobiodiversity and use of agrochemicals seem not to be a concern. Mechanisms through which impacts have been achieved are analyzed. Little spillover effects are found.

Suggested Citation

  • Romina Cavatassi & Mario González & Paul Winters & Jorge Andrade-Piedra & Graham Thiele & Patricio Espinosa, 2009. "Linking Smallholders to the New Agricultural Economy: An Evaluation of the Plataformas Program in Ecuador," Working Papers 09-06, Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO - ESA).
    • Handle: RePEc:fao:wpaper:0906
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Jelliffe, Jeremy L. & Bravo-Ureta, Boris E. & Deom, C. Michael, 2015. "Adaptation and Adoption of Improved Seeds through Extension: Evidence from Farmer-Led Groundnut Multiplication in Uganda," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205980, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Stephen Sherwood & Severine Van Bommel & Myriam Paredes, 2016. "Self-Organization and the Bypass: Re-Imagining Institutions for More Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Food," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-19, December.
    5. González-Flores, Mario & Bravo-Ureta, Boris E. & Solís, Daniel & Winters, Paul, 2014. "The impact of high value markets on smallholder productivity in the Ecuadorean Sierra: A Stochastic Production Frontier approach correcting for selectivity bias," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 237-247.
    6. Jelliffe, Jeremy L. & Bravo-Ureta, Boris E. & Deom, C. Michael & Okello, David Kalule, 2016. "The Sustainability Of Project Outcomes From Farmer-Led Dissemination Of High-Yielding Groundnut Rosette Disease Resistant Groundnut Varieties," 2016 Fifth International Conference, September 23-26, 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 246450, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    7. Jeremy L. Jelliffe & Boris E. Bravo-Ureta & C. Michael Deom & David K. Okello, 2018. "Adoption of High-Yielding Groundnut Varieties: The Sustainability of a Farmer-Led Multiplication-Dissemination Program in Eastern Uganda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Boris Bravo-Ureta & William Greene & Daniel Solís, 2012. "Technical efficiency analysis correcting for biases from observed and unobserved variables: an application to a natural resource management project," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 55-72, August.
    9. Garbero, A. & Songsermsawas, T., 2018. "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 31 - Impact of modern irrigation on household production and welfare outcomes: evidence from the participatory small-scale irrigation development programme (PASIDP) project in Eth," IFAD Research Series 280080, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    10. Boris E. Bravo-Ureta, 2014. "Stochastic frontiers, productivity effects and development projects," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 51-58.
    11. Hugh Waddington & Birte Snilstveit & Jorge Hombrados & Martina Vojtkova & Daniel Phillips & Philip Davies & Howard White, 2014. "Farmer Field Schools for Improving Farming Practices and Farmer Outcomes: A Systematic Review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(1), pages -335.
    12. Thiele, Graham & Devaux, André & Reinoso, Iván & Pico, Hérnan & Montesdeoca, Fabián & Pumisacho, Manuel & Andrade-Piedra, Jorge & Velasco, Claudio & Flores, Paola & Esprella, Raúl & Thomann, Alice & M, 2016. "Multistakeholder platforms for linking small farmers to value chains: Evidence from the Andes," IFPRI book chapters, in: Devaux, André & Torero, Maximo & Donovan, Jason & Horton, Douglas E. (ed.), Innovation for inclusive value-chain development: Successes and challenges, chapter 8, pages 249-268, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    New agricultural economy; Ecuador; smallholder potato farmers; impact evaluation; food-security; agrobiodiversity; natural resources.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects

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