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Risk and ambiguity preferences and the adoption of new agricultural technologies: Evidence from field experiments in rural India:

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  • Ward, Patrick S.
  • Singh, Vartika

Abstract

Advances in agricultural development have largely been a direct result of increased usage of new technologies. Among other important factors, farmers’ perceptions of risks associated with the new technology as well as their ability or willingness to take risks greatly influences their adoption decisions. In this paper we conduct a series of field experiments in rural India in order to measure preferences related to risk, potential loss, and ambiguity. Disaggregating by gender, we find that on average women are significantly more risk averse and loss averse than men, though the higher average risk aversion arises due to a greater share of women who are extremely risk averse.

Suggested Citation

  • Ward, Patrick S. & Singh, Vartika, 2014. "Risk and ambiguity preferences and the adoption of new agricultural technologies: Evidence from field experiments in rural India:," IFPRI discussion papers 1324, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:1324
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    2. Alvarado, E. & Ibanez, M. & Brummer, B., 2018. "Understanding how risk preferences and social capital affect farmers’ behavior to anticipatory and reactive adaptation options to climate change: the case of vineyard farmers in central Chile," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 275978, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Kanchan Joshi & Thiagu Ranganathan & Ram Ranjan, 2021. "Exploring Higher Order Risk Preferences of Farmers in a Water-Scarce Region: Evidence from a Field Experiment in West Bengal, India," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 19(2), pages 317-344, June.
    4. Toritseju Begho, 2021. "Using Farmers’ Risk Tolerance to Explain Variations in Adoption of Improved Rice Varieties in Nepal," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 16(2), pages 171-193, August.
    5. Kebede, Bereket & Zizzo, Daniel John, 2015. "Social Preferences and Agricultural Innovation: An Experimental Case Study from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 267-280.
    6. Jumare, Hafsah & Visser, Martine & Brick, Kerri, 2017. "Risk Preferences and the Poverty Trap: A Look at Farm Technology Uptake amongst Smallholder Farmers in the Matzikama Municipality," EfD Discussion Paper 17-14, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    7. Omotuyole Isiaka Ambali & Francisco Jose Areal & Nikolaos Georgantzis, 2021. "On Spatially Dependent Risk Preferences: The Case of Nigerian Farmers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    8. Suzuki, Aya, 2014. "Risk on Dynamic Behavior of Farmers in the Export Market: A Case from the Pineapple Industry in Ghana," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170665, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Visser, Martine & Jumare, Hafsah & Brick, Kerri, 2020. "Risk preferences and poverty traps in the uptake of credit and insurance amongst small-scale farmers in South Africa," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 826-836.
    10. Ward, Patrick S. & Ortega, David L. & Spielman, David J. & Singh, Vartika & Magnan, Nicholas, 2013. "Farmer Preferences for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Hybrid versus Inbred Rice: Evidence from Bihar, India," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150786, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technology adoption; rural population; Agricultural technology; uncertainty; propect theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments

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