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Digital Agriculture: Mobile Phones, Internet & Agricultural Development in Africa

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  • Evans, Olaniyi

Abstract

This study examines the non-linear relationship between mobile phones, internet and agricultural development in Africa for the period 2001–2015 using system generalized method of moments. The empirical results show a non-linear relationship between mobile phones, internet and agricultural development. Mobile penetration and squared mobile penetration have significant positive effects on agricultural value added, implying that mobile penetration has an increasing effect on agricultural value added. In contrast, internet usage has significant negative effects on agricultural value added, but squared internet usage has significant positive effects. This suggests a U-shaped pattern and a quadratic relationship: as internet usage increases, agricultural value added decreases, but after a certain level of internet usage which is the turning point, agricultural value added starts to increase. The causality analysis suggests the existence of uni-directional causality from mobile penetration and internet usage to agricultural value added. However, there is bi-directional causality between squared mobile penetration, squared internet usage and agricultural value added. This indicates that mobile phones and internet stimulate agricultural development which, in turn, boosts mobile penetration and internet usage even further in these countries. The results therefore provide evidence that mobile phones and internet play significant roles in agricultural development, as agricultural development also plays important roles in the expansion of mobile phones and internet.

Suggested Citation

  • Evans, Olaniyi, 2018. "Digital Agriculture: Mobile Phones, Internet & Agricultural Development in Africa," MPRA Paper 90359, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:90359
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alex Boakye, 2023. "Estimating agriculture technologies’ impact on maize yield in rural South Africa," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(8), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Chen, Zhongwei & Cui, Ruijie & Tang, Can & Wang, Zihan, 2024. "Can digital literacy improve individuals' incomes and narrow the income gap?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    3. Evans, Olaniyi, 2018. "Blockchain Technology and the Financial Market: An Empirical Analysis," MPRA Paper 99212, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Arif Imam Suroso & Idqan Fahmi & Hansen Tandra, 2022. "The Role of Internet on Agricultural Sector Performance in Global World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-10, September.
    5. Robert B. Zougmoré & Samuel T. Partey, 2022. "Gender Perspectives of ICT Utilization in Agriculture and Climate Response in West Africa: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, September.
    6. Ogechi Adeola & Olaniyi Evans, 2020. "ICT, infrastructure, and tourism development in Africa," Tourism Economics, , vol. 26(1), pages 97-114, February.
    7. Evans, Olaniyi & Mesagan, Ekundayo Peter, 2022. "ICT-trade and pollution in Africa: Do governance and regulation matter?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 511-531.
    8. Adeola, Ogechi & Evans, Olaniyi & Hilson, Ebo, 2018. "Tourism and economic wellbeing in Africa," MPRA Paper 93685, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Evans, Olaniyi, 2018. "Digital Government: ICT and Public Sector Management in Africa," MPRA Paper 91628, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Digital Agriculture; Mobile Phones; Internet; Agriculture;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q1 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • Q19 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Other

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