Insecticide use, farmers’ self-reported health status, and genetically modified cowpea in Nigeria: Findings from a clustered randomized controlled trial with causal

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dc.creatorAmare, Mulubrhan
dc.creatorAndam, Kwaw S.
dc.creatorSpielman, David J.
dc.creatorBamiwuye, Temilolu
dc.creatorNwagboso, Chibuzo
dc.creatorZambrano, Patricia
dc.creatorChambers, Judith A.
dc.date2025-12-18
dc.date2025-12-18T22:05:37Z
dc.date2025-12-18T22:05:37Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T15:38:52Z
dc.descriptionExcessive insecticide use in smallholder agriculture can threaten human health and the environment. We evaluate the effects of receiving a genetically modified cowpea variety that confers resistance to the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata) using a clustered randomized controlled trial with an encouragement design in Nigeria. We find that farmers who received the pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea with complementary inputs significantly reduce insecticide volumes and report fewer days of insecticide-related illness compared to farmers who only received a conventional cowpea variety. Farmers receiving PBR cowpea alone experience smaller, mostly insignificant reductions. To explore heterogeneous responses, we combine ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) interactions with machine learning-based Causal Forest estimates of Conditional Average Treatment Effects (CATEs). Results reveal that smaller, less wealthy, and labor-constrained households experience the largest reductions in insecticide use and health improvements, whereas wealthier farmers or those with higher baseline spraying practices experience lower reductions. Women-managed plots exhibit modestly higher responsiveness. Our findings highlight the importance of moving beyond average effects and seed distribution toward targeted, context-specific interventions that account for behavioral and resource constraints in smallholder farming systems.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/179030
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/110506
dc.languageen
dc.publisherInternational Food Policy Research Institute
dc.relationhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/145073
dc.relationhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/145074
dc.relationhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/178553
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceAmare, Mulubrhan; Andam, Kwaw S.; Spielman, David J.; Bamiwuye, Temilolu; Nwagboso, Chibuzo; et al. 2025. Insecticide use, farmers’ self-reported health status, and genetically modified cowpea in Nigeria: Findings from a clustered randomized controlled trial with causal. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2388. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179030
dc.subjectinsecticides
dc.subjectfarmers
dc.subjecthealth
dc.subjectgenetically modified foods
dc.subjectcowpeas
dc.subjectrandomized controlled trials
dc.subjectmachine learning
dc.titleInsecticide use, farmers’ self-reported health status, and genetically modified cowpea in Nigeria: Findings from a clustered randomized controlled trial with causal
dc.typeWorking Paper

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Instituto Internacional de Investigación sobre Políticas Alimentarias (IFPRI)