Knowledge and Adoption of Complex Agricultural Technologies
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World Bank, Washington, DC
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In most of Sub-Saharan Africa,
agricultural extension models have become more decentralized
and participatory and thus, rely on effective
farmer-to-farmer learning, while increasingly including
non-traditional forms of education. At the same time,
agricultural technologies become more complex and are now
often promoted as integrated packages, likely to increase
the complexity of the diffusion process. Based on a
randomized controlled trial, this study assesses the effects
of ‘farmer-to-farmer’ extension and a video intervention on
adoption of a complex technology package among 2,382
smallholders in Ethiopia. Both extension-only and extension
combined with video increase adoption and knowledge of the
package, especially of its more complex components; although
on average, there is no additional effect of the video
intervention on adoption. Knowledge and the number of
adopted practices also increase among farmers not actively
participating in extension activities, suggesting
information diffusion. For this group, the additional video
intervention has a reinforcing effect, and particularly
fosters adoption of the integrated package.
Palabras clave
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY, SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, SOIL FERTILITY, TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS