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Farmers’ Demand and the Traits and Diffusion of Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries

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  • Karen Macours

    (PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

International agricultural research is often motivated by the potential benefits it could bring to smallholder farmers in developing countries. A recent experimental literature has emerged on why innovations resulting from such research, which often focuses on yield enhancement, fail to be adopted due to either external or internal constraints. This article reviews this literature, focusing on the traits of the different technologies and their complexity and distinguishing between yield-enhancing, variance-reducing, and water- or labor-reducing technologies. It also discusses how farmers' reallocation of inputs and investments when external constraints are lifted suggests that they often do not seek to increase yield or input intensity. The article further reviews evidence indicating that a technology's potential as observed in agronomical trials is not necessarily a good predictor for smallholder farmers' demands for the technology in real-life conditions. The last section derives conclusions for the research and policy agenda.

Suggested Citation

  • Karen Macours, 2019. "Farmers’ Demand and the Traits and Diffusion of Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-02489596, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:halshs-02489596
    DOI: 10.1146/annurev-resource-100518-094045
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    Cited by:

    1. Corral,Carolina & Gine,Xavier & Mahajan,Aprajit & Seira,Enrique, 2020. "Autonomy and Specificity in Agricultural Technology Adoption : Evidence from Mexico," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9367, The World Bank.
    2. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    3. Daniel Agness & Travis Baseler & Sylvain Chassang & Pascaline Dupas & Erik Snowberg, 2022. "Valuing the Time of the Self-Employed," CESifo Working Paper Series 9567, CESifo.
    4. Jérémie Gignoux & Karen Macours & Daniel Stein & Kelsey Wright, 2021. "Agricultural input subsidies, credit constraints and expectations of future transfers: evidence from Haiti," PSE Working Papers halshs-03131411, HAL.
    5. Bettles, Joseph & Battisti, David S. & Cook-Patton, Susan C. & Kroeger, Timm & Spector, June T. & Wolff, Nicholas H. & Masuda, Yuta J., 2021. "Agroforestry and non-state actors: A review," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    6. Andrew Dillon & Nicoló Tomaselli, 2024. "Making Markets: Experiments in Agricultural Input Market Formation," Working Papers - Economics wp2024_18.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    7. Emerick, Kyle & De Janvry, Alain & Sadoulet, Elisabeth & Dar, Manzoor & Wiseman, Eleanor, 2020. "Private Input Suppliers as Information Agents for Technology Adoption in Agriculture," CEPR Discussion Papers 15584, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Gartaula, Hom N. & Gebremariam, Gebrelibanos & Jaleta, Moti, 2024. "Gender, rainfall endowment, and farmers’ heterogeneity in wheat trait preferences in Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    9. Jérémie Gignoux & Karen Macours & Daniel Stein & Kelsey Wright, 2023. "Input subsidies, credit constraints, and expectations of future transfers: Evidence from Haiti," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(3), pages 809-835, May.
    10. Schulz, Dario & Börner, Jan, 2021. "Context and Technology Traits Explain Heterogeneity Across Adoption Studies of Agricultural Innovations: A Global Meta-Analysis," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315003, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Xavier Giné & Shreena Patel & Bernardo Ribeiro & Ildrim Valley, 2022. "Efficiency and equity of input subsidies: Experimental evidence from Tanzania†," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(5), pages 1625-1655, October.
    12. KOJIN, Emi & DO, Van Hoang & NGUYEN, Thiet & ARIMOTO, Yutaka & VO, Hong Tu & MANO, Yukichi & NGUYEN, Duy Can & TSUKADA, Kazunari, 2023. "Government and market initiatives for the governance of fertilizer quality in Vietnam," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-130, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    13. Chowdhury, Shyamal & Smits, Joeri & Sun, Qigang, 2020. "Contract Structure, Time Preference, and Technology Adoption," IZA Discussion Papers 13590, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Carolina Corral & Xavier Giné & Aprajit Mahajan & Enrique Seira, 2020. "Appropriate Technology Use and Autonomy: Evidence from Mexico," NBER Working Papers 27681, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Chowdhury, Shyamal & Smits, Joeri & Sun, Qigang, 2020. "Contract structure, time preference, and technology adoption," GLO Discussion Paper Series 633, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    16. Noeldeke, Beatrice & Winter, Etti & Ntawuhiganayo, Elisée Bahati, 2022. "Representing human decision-making in agent-based simulation models: Agroforestry adoption in rural Rwanda," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    17. Paola Mallia, 2022. "You reap what (you think) you sow? Evidence on farmers’behavioral adjustments in the case of correct crop varietal identification," PSE Working Papers hal-03597332, HAL.
    18. Sadick Mohammed & Awudu Abdulai, 2022. "Heterogeneity in returns to agricultural technologies with incomplete diffusion: Evidence from Ghana," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 323-353, February.
    19. Takahashi, Kazushi & Mano, Yukichi & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2019. "Learning from experts and peer farmers about rice production: Experimental evidence from Cote d’Ivoire," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 157-169.
    20. Wossen, Tesfamicheal & Abay, Kibrom A. & Abdoulaye, Tahirou, 2022. "Misperceiving and misreporting input quality: Implications for input use and productivity," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    international agricultural research; diffusion; innovations; demand; JEL O12; JEL O13; JEL O32; JEL O33; agronomical trails;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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