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Revitalising smallholder agriculture: the impact of technical training in rural Lebanon

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  • Sara Balestri

    (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)

Abstract

This paper provides new evidence about the impact of an agricultural development initiative focused on the cherry sector and implemented in rural areas of the Bekaa Valley (Lebanon). The initiative aims to enhance economic opportunities of smallholder farmers by strengthening technical skills, fostering sustainable productions and developing market linkages. Using original micro data from a sample of 118 smallholder cherry farmers, we explore, through a Difference-in-Differences approach, whether the development initiative, based on the provision of extension services and accompaniment through technical training, impacts on a broad set of alternative agricultural outcomes—namely, total cherry production, average market price, management competency and the adoption of improved agricultural practices. The results show that beneficiary small-scale farmers achieve better performances in three outcomes out of the four considered, with the adoption of improved and sustainable agricultural practices as the most remarkable result. Conversely, the management of the agricultural economic activity does not experience any statistically significant variation connected to the initiative implementation. The analysis of a limited source of treatment heterogeneity discloses the primary role of technical training, rather than other kinds of material support, to explain the main results.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Balestri, 2024. "Revitalising smallholder agriculture: the impact of technical training in rural Lebanon," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 41(2), pages 361-393, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:epolit:v:41:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s40888-024-00329-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s40888-024-00329-y
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Smallholder farmers; Agriculture; Extension services; Difference-in-Differences; Impact evaluation; Lebanon;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General

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