Search

In many markets, consumers believe things about products that are not true. We study how incorrect beliefs about product quality can persist even after a consumer has used a product many times. We explore the example of fertilizer in East Africa. Farmers believe much local fertilizer is counterfeit or adulterated; however, multiple studies have established that nearly all fertilizer in the area is good quality. We develop a learning model to explain how these incorrect beliefs persist. We show that when the distributions of outcomes using good and bad quality products overlap, agents can misattribute bad luck or bad management to bad quality. Our learning model and its simulations show that the presence of misattribution inhibits learning about quality and that goods like fertilizer with unobservable quality that are inputs into production processes characterized by stochasticity should be thought of as credence goods, not experience goods. Our results suggest that policy makers should pursue quality assurance programs for products that are vulnerable to misattribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae and frass in agriculture can make an important contribution to food and nutrition security. However, it is important to understand whether consumers are willing to consume food products resulting from the use of BSF larvae as animal feed or BSF frass as fertilizer. This study employed the stated preference approach as food products produced using BSF larvae and frass are not currently available on the market. Questionnaires were administered to a total of 4412 consumers in Ghana (1360), Mali (1603), and Niger (1449). The results show that the vast majority of respondents are willing to consume vegetables (88%) produced using BSF frass and meat (87%) produced using animal feed made of BSF larvae. A smaller percentage of respondents are even willing to pay USD 1.32 and USD 1.7 more if the base price of BSF-based products were USD 5 per kg. Age, gender, education, and country positively influenced the respondents' willingness to consume food produced using BSF products. In contrast, neighborhood status, income, and household size are inversely related to the respondents' willingness to pay for and consume these products. Our findings are, therefore, important to scaling up BSF technologies in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article identifies the determinants, crop productivity, and household welfare impacts of adopting certified seeds of improved cassava varieties (c-ICVs) in Uganda. The determinants were identified using the two-part model while the crop productivity and household welfare impacts were assessed using the endogenous switching regression model. The data came from 609 farm households in Uganda's three major cassava-growing regions (Eastern, Northern, and mid-Western). The results showed that adopters of c-ICVs experienced a considerable increase in productivity (stem and root yields) and improvement in welfare outcomes (cash income and consumption expenditure). The results provide evidence of the effectiveness of the country's seed certification and genetic improvement efforts over recent years and justify increased investments in genetic improvement and seed certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agribusiness sector development is often portrayed as an essential component of economic development. Though Benin is a country with inestimable agricultural potential, the agribusiness sector appears unappealing to the local youths. Prior investigations diagnosed the impeding factors as a paucity of financial resource and a dearth of land and technical knowledge. This article departs from past studies by considering the importance of informal institutions for youth participation in the agribusiness sector. Exploring a rich data set of 478 youths aged 15 to 35, collected in Southern Benin based on the stratified random sampling technique, the article uses propensity score matching to address selection bias and logistic regression on the matched sample to link informal institutions to youth participation in agribusiness. Results highlight that agribusiness-unfriendly informal institutions discourage youth participation in the agribusiness sector. Though easing access to finance is crucial for the youths to initiate agribusiness activities, findings make a case for long-term policies that aim to increase the societal levels of trust and desirability for the agribusiness sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second phase of the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA II) project was implemented through a strong collaboration between research and private sector. Private seed companies were provided with a wide variety of training and development activities on good agronomic practices (GAPs). However, the effects of the training activities were yet to be evaluated. This paper evaluated the contribution of the training on high-quality seed yam production through paying particular attention to how it was tailored to the needs of various farmers, and how the knowledge gained was transferred to the field. The study employed an applied Kirkpatrick model and descriptive statistics to measure the indicators of training effectiveness. Results from a statistical population of 172 farmers using 179 demonstration fields showed that the farmers' training on GAPs was effective, based on four criteria of the Kirkpatrick training evaluation process. The satisfactory results at the beginning of the hierarchical model have implications on the satisfactory results at the end. Improving the effectiveness of a training depends on defining factors such as (i) Training based on satisfaction in meeting the needs of your trainees and the seed production business; (ii) Training based on learning objectives in improving the trainees' skills and knowledge; and (iii) Training based on learner attitude change in applying new skills and knowledge in the fields. Conclusions drawn from this study indicated that the training was a reasonable value-added mechanism of improved agricultural knowledge and practices for enhancing high-quality seed yam production in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the determinants and impacts of mobile money (MM) usage on maize productivity and poverty likelihood (i.e., the probability of a household falling below the international poverty line at USD 1.9 per capita per day) in the Mbeya Region, Tanzania. The analysis was conducted using the endogenous switching regression (ESR) model on data from a random sample of 1310 households selected from seven districts in the region. Results of the ESR estimation show that MM usage is strongly and positively associated with the education level of the household head, asset ownership, credit access, input access, and social networks. MM usage is also significantly associated with increased maize productivity and a reduced poverty likelihood. Farmers who chose to use MM services increased their maize productivity by about 124 kg/acre and reduced their poverty likelihood by nearly 25 percentage points, as measured by the progress out of poverty index. These findings call for a targeted approach to reaching and supporting MM usage among households with constrained access to formal financial services to increase maize productivity and reduce poverty likelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector remains for youth a key pillar for income creation. However, few are attracted by agribusiness despite stakeholders' efforts toward engaging youth in agriculture. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial potential characteristics and youth desirability to start an enterprise in agriculture among 514 young people in Eastern DRC. This study revealed that youth in South Kivu have different entrepreneurship potential features and agribusiness desirability levels according to their gender and living area. Hence, the youth's agribusiness desirability is motivated by an awareness of emerging agripreneurial activities, land ownership, parent involvement in farming activities as a role model, perceived agribusiness as an employment source, management-organizing and opportunistic competencies, market analysis, negotiating, and planning skills. Therefore, efforts to attract youth into agribusiness should focus on the use of media, the creation of awareness of available agribusiness initiatives in their area, and the setup of land policy. This is in addition to putting in place capacity-building programs on entrepreneurial and business skills through incubators, and the formalization of youth agribusiness groups that foster capitalizing experiences between new and accelerated agripreneurial enterprises, with the support of parents and financial institutions, focusing on gender sensitivity, in both rural and urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing agricultural productivity by promoting high-yielding and micronutrient-rich crop varieties has the potential to reduce poverty and malnutrition. However, getting these technologies into the hands of smallholders remains a challenge. This paper presents results from a randomised field experiment that uses rural primary schools as dissemination hubs for improved orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) vines and nutrition information in rural Tanzania and Uganda. Two years after the initial vine distribution, we find that households in treatment villages are 21 percentage points more likely to report growing OFSP and 27 percentage points more likely to correctly state the nutritional benefits of OFSP compared to those in control villages. We also find up to 16 percentage point increase in the likelihood of OFSP consumption by children under 5 years of age in treatment villages compared to that in control villages. Furthermore, we find suggestive evidence that increased knowledge on the nutritional benefits of OFSP mediated up to a third of the total treatment effect on OFSP adoption and consumption. Our findings suggest that rural primary schools can be effective channels for promoting and accelerating the diffusion of micronutrient-rich crop varieties in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty persists in many developing countries, including Nigeria, owing to inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, or poor working conditions, among other factors. Youth poverty and vulnerability to poverty have been identified to prevalent among the young population. Using an endogenous switching probit regression approach, in this study, we evaluated the impacts of youth participation in agribusiness programs (YIAPs) on poverty and vulnerability to poverty in Nigeria. Our findings revealed that some demographic and institutional factors significantly influence poverty and vulnerability to poverty among youth. The impact estimates indicate that participation in an agribusiness program has a significant positive effect on poverty reduction among youth. Moreover, there would have been about a 28% reduction in exposure to future poverty for non-participants had they participated in a YIAP. Our results suggest that intervention programs, such as YIAPs, that focus on skill acquisition and youth empowerment should be strengthened and scaled-up in order to improve youth welfare and subsequently reduce/eradicate poverty and vulnerability to poverty among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing mobility of rural youth mainly caused by limited access to land resources and inadequacy of job opportunities. Increased population density coupled with low education rates has increased pressure on natural resources, especially land. This paper assessed the effect of land inheritance on youth migration and employment in Rwanda using the 2010/11 and 2013/14 Integrated Household Living Conditions Surveys (EICVs) data collected from 8160 households by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). In-depth key informant interviews and focus group discussions, at institutional and cooperative levels, were conducted to supplement and support survey results. We used the Hausman test to choose between the fixed-effects and random-effects models. Results show that land inheritance has a negative and statistically significant effect on youth migration and non-agriculture-based employment. This implies that greater access to land through inheritance reduces the likelihood of youth migration and their participation in nonagricultural employment. The paper concludes with implications for policy aimed at creating increased access to land, expanding youth employment opportunities in rural areas, and reducing rural–urban youth migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the Technical Efficiency (TE) of youth crop farmers in Njombe Region of Tanzania, and analyze the determinants of technical inefficiency for crops produced. Data were collected from 572 youths in 16 villages of Njombe Region by using a random sampling technique. The Stochastic Production Function (SPF) model analysed technical efficiency among the youth crop farmers. Results show that youth crop farmers in the study region exhibited decreasing returns to scale, as confirmed by the Returns to Scale of 0.275. The mean TE of crops produced was 19.32%, implying that youth farmers still have room to improve their farming efficiency by 80.68% using the same land resources. Most youth farmers had technical efficiency scores from 18.5% to 20.5%. In addition, the estimated SPF model and inefficiency parameters showed that age, land ownership, and extension contact are factors which reduced technical inefficiency in the study region. Thus, more emphasis might focus on enhancing the accessibility of youth farmers to extension services, land ownership, and efficient use of farm inputs might improve the TE of youth crop farmers in Tanzania and the world as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the opinions of youth tomato growers on the accessibility of agricultural credit and factors that influence the accessibility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Data originated from a household survey for the 2019/2020 farming season. We interviewed 218 youth tomato growers from 6 horticulture production zones in the South-Kivu, eastern DRC. The result reveals a low rate of 20.6% on accessing agricultural credit among tomato growers. The topmost nature of agricultural credit received was cash-based, mostly from informal sources of finance (92.7%). The findings reveal that the lack of information on agricultural credit, the fear of credit default, and the absence of Microfinance Institutions in the study areas were the highest-ranking factors hindering tomato growers from accessing agricultural credit services. Our probit model shows that total household income, gender, and tomato growers' membership in a cooperative were essential factors that explain the probability of accessing agricultural credit. We recommend formalising the agricultural credit system by improving agri-finance extension service delivery to associations of tomato growers among the young to access and use agricultural microcredit services effectively to enhance agricultural production, which is a proxy for rural employment creation and poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on youth unemployment in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region using panel data from the World Bank World Development Indicators for the period 1994–2017. Results from the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS-Parks) technique show that FDI has an insignificant effect on reducing youth unemployment in the SADC region. This could be because the type of FDI in the region is partly mergers and acquisitions, which has fewer jobs creating capacity compared to Greenfield investment. This suggests the need for governments in the region to pursue labour-absorbing FDI policies and also ensure that foreign investment inflows are channelled towards labour-intensive sectors that have high labour absorptive capacity such as horticulture and floriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved soybean varieties and agronomic practices have been widely disseminated to smallholder farmers in Malawi over the last 15 years. However, there is no empirical evidence on the welfare impacts of adopting improved soybean technologies. This paper estimated the poverty impacts of adopting improved soybean technologies using data from 1,234 households in six soybean growing districts accounting for over 80% of the total soybean production in the country. The results from an endogenous switching regression model showed that 32% of the sample households adopted improved soybean varieties and agronomic practices. The adoption benefits were higher for female-headed households and increased with the household head's education and cultivated land areas. A comparison of the observed and counterfactual incomes for adopters based on the international poverty line of US$1.90 per capita per day showed a 4.16 percentage-point reduction in poverty among the sample households, translating to over 150,000 people lifted out of poverty. The household head's education level, household size, cultivated land area, livestock size, and asset ownership are associated with the daily per capita income. The results point to the need for scaling up of improved soybean varieties and agronomic practices for greater impacts on poverty reduction among smallholders in Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents findings from baseline surveys in 5 states of Nigeria to assess the nutritional outcomes on target groups on attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2. The augmented regression technique was applied to analyze data from a sample of 1642 households with at least 1 child under the age of 5 years (U5) and their mothers or caregivers out of a total of 2500 households that were drawn from the 250 enumeration areas of the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics in the 5 states. The results support the growing evidence base that poverty and household hunger are pervasive. The incidence of poverty highlights inequalities among states. The combination of poverty and hunger was mirrored in the damning extent to which all forms of malnutrition coexisted in children U5, particularly during the second year of infancy and among poor households. Evidence from this study points to poor dietary quality of complementary food rather than other childcare practices as majorly responsible for child malnutrition. Child wellness was positively affected by maternal health-seeking behavior but negatively by the poverty probability index of the household. Notably, maternal health-seeking behavior played a more relevant role in child wellness than mothers' educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of key staples with aflatoxins compromises the quality of food and feed, impedes trade, and negatively affects the health of consumers whereas acute exposure can be fatal. This study used the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) on a sample of 480 farmers in counties prone to aflatoxin contamination to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) by farmers for Aflasafe KE01, a promising biological control product for the management of aflatoxin contamination of key staples in Kenya, compare its cost with that of a similar product in use in Nigeria, and determine factors likely to affect its adoption. Four hundred and eighty households from four counties identified as aflatoxin hotspots in Kenya were purposively selected and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The mean WTP per kilogram of Aflasafe KE01, using Contingent Valuation Method in the four counties ranged from Kenya Shillings (Ksh) 113 to 152/kg compared to a cost of Ksh. 130/kg, the price of a similar product, AflasafeTM, in Nigeria. Factors that positively influenced farmers' WTP included information from crop extension services and access to credit. To facilitate the adoption of Aflasafe KE01 or any other biocontrol product in Kenya and elsewhere, there is a need for increased education efforts through extension services to farmers about aflatoxins. Strategies to ensure that the biocontrol product is integrated into the credit scheme of the technological packages to farmers need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of good-quality planting materials has been identified as the most severe problem militating against increased agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and beyond. However, investment of research efforts and resources in addressing this menace will only be feasible and worthwhile if attendant economic gains are considerable. As a way of investigating the economic viability of yam investment, this research has been initiated to address problems confronting yam productivity in eight countries of SSA and beyond: Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Papua New Guinea, Jamaica, and Columbia. Research options developed were to be deployed and disseminated. Key technologies include the adaptive yam minisett technique (AYMT), varieties adapted to low soil fertility and drought, nematode-resistant cultivars (NRC), and crop management and postharvest practices (CMPP). This article aims at estimating the potential economic returns, the expected number of beneficiaries, and poverty reduction consequent to the adoption of technology options. Estimates show that the new land area that will be covered by the technologies in the eight countries will range between 770,000 ha and 1,000,000 ha with the highest quota accounted for by AYMT. The net present value will range between US$584 and US$1392 million and was highest for the NRC. The CMPP had the lowest benefit-cost ratio of 7.74. About 1,049,000 people would be moved out of poverty by these technologies by 2037 in the region. These technologies are less responsive to changes in cost than that in adoption rate. Therefore, the realization of the potential economic gains depends on the rate and extent of adoption of these technologies. Giving the knowledge-intensive nature of some of these interventions, capacity building of potential adopters will be critical to increasing the sustainability of the yam sector, thereby enhancing food security and reducing poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical approaches to food production are important to the food security of growing populations in developing countries. However, strategic investments in research and farm‐level adoption require greater coherence in agricultural, societal, and local policies. The Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) and formation of the Cassava Innovation Platform (CIP) in Uganda were designed to stimulate interactions between researchers and farmers, leading to the development of improved cassava varieties through participatory plant breeding (PPB) and participatory variety selection (PVS). Moreover, the establishment of a community‐based commercialized seed system called Cassava Seed Entrepreneurship (CSE) has made an important contribution to the rapid multiplication and dissemination of clean planting materials in Uganda. The impact of CIP participation on rural household welfare was measured by household consumption expenditure per capita. The Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) model was applied to data from a formal household survey conducted in the eastern, northern, and mid‐western regions of Uganda. The education, farm size, livestock size, access to credit, cost of cassava planting materials, access to extension service, access to training, and social group membership are significantly associated with CIP participation. CIP participation resulted in a 47.4% increase in household consumption expenditure. This important evidence highlights the need to promote agricultural innovation platform for improving rural livelihoods. Moreover, CIP participation has impact heterogeneity within the participant group that is conditional on household characteristics such as the gender of the household head, pointing to the need to tailor specific interventions and target specific groups within farm households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the impact of cowpea market participation on household food security and income in northern Nigeria. Using household survey data from a representative sample of over 1,500 farm households and applying a combination of instrumental variable techniques and dose–response functions, we found that cowpea market participation had a statistically significant positive impact on household food security and income. Cowpea market participation increased food expenditure by 1.6% and household income by 0.7% with a 10 unit increase in the quantity of cowpea sold. These results underscore the importance of cowpea market participation for household food security and income improvement. We also found that selling cowpea to rural and urban traders significantly increased household income, food expenditure, and food security. Results show that selling cowpea to rural and urban traders increased household income by 17% and 13%, respectively. The results point to the need for an enabling policy environment and public infrastructure to enhance market participation of farmers and traders. Public infrastructure investments in the form of feeder road construction and maintenance in the distant villages are encouraged, which in the long run can translate into improved cowpea productivity and welfare of smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the poverty reduction impact of the adoption of cropping system intensification (CSI) technologies using the endogenous switching regression (ESR) model in the Great Lakes region of Africa that comprises Burundi, eastern DR Congo, and Rwanda. The study data came from a household survey of 1,495 sample households interviewed between October and December 2014. Results indicated that the adoption of the CSI technologies had increased crop yield, crop income, and per capita consumption expenditure in the region, resulting in poverty reduction. Among the three countries, eastern DR Congo witnessed the highest poverty reduction (13% points) followed by Rwanda (6% points) and Burundi (2% points). Considering the adoption rate and size of the target population in each country at baseline, an estimated 180 thousand poor individuals had escaped poverty due to the adoption of the CSI technologies. This presents important evidence in favor of promoting CSI technologies as part of poverty reduction strategy. Given the large population size that remains poor even after adoption, we suggest that research‐based poverty reduction strategies such as the CSI technologies should be complemented with development interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary aflatoxin exposure is a widespread problem in the developing world and causes severe negative health consequences to humans and livestock animals. A new biological control product, called Aflasafe, has been introduced in Nigeria to mitigate aflatoxin contamination of maize in the field and in storage. No known prior work has estimated how much African agribusinesses using maize for animal feed will pay for aflatoxin‐safe maize. This study measured the levels of Aflasafe awareness, surveyed current aflatoxin management practices, and estimated, using choice experiments, willingness to pay (WTP) for aflatoxin‐safe maize by Nigerian poultry producers and feed millers. Data was gathered from 272 orally administered surveys, which included discrete choice experiments examining maize purchasing decisions. Results suggest that the proportion of enterprises that were aware of aflatoxin was found to vary across states. Two latent classes of Nigerian poultry producers and feed millers were identified that were willing to pay average premiums of 4.9% and 30.9%, respectively for maize with 10 parts per billion (ppb) aflatoxin concentration relative to maize with 20 ppb aflatoxin concentration. Both latent classes were, on average, willing to pay larger premiums for maize with 4 ppb aflatoxin concentration. There was evidence that latent class membership, and hence WTP, varied based on awareness of aflatoxin and across geographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cowpea covers the largest area of any grain legume in Africa and is especially important in West Africa where Nigeria and Niger alone account for over 75% of the total cowpea production in the world. Despite successes of international and national cowpea improvement research in the development and release of several improved varieties, there is limited empirical evidence of adoption and ex‐post impacts of improved cowpea. Using a nationally representative survey data from a sample of 1,525 cowpea‐growing households in northern Nigeria cultivating over 2,500 cowpea plots, we assess the adoption and impacts of improved cowpea varieties on cowpea yields, net returns and production costs. We apply a control function approach and propensity score matching models to estimate the causal effects of adoption of improved cowpea varieties. Our results show that 38% of the cowpea plots were planted with improved varieties, and cowpea yields, net returns and production costs increase significantly with the adoption of improved cowpea varieties. Adoption of improved cowpea varieties is associated on average with 26% yield gains, 61% increase in net returns and 14% increase in production costs. We also show that farmers who have a lower propensity to adopt improved cowpea varieties also face higher costs of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the factors for the successful implementation of bylaws on sustainable crop intensification. The study used the new institutionalism theory to examine the implementation of bylaws in the potato cropping system in southwestern Uganda. A mixed model featuring both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in the study. This involved analysis of primary data. The primary sources were key informants, focus group discussions, and face to face interviews with individual farmers, as well as secondary data sources. Factors influencing the effective implementation of bylaws on sustainable crop intensification at community level included awareness of existing bylaws, availability of extension agents to sensitize and train farmers on bylaws, power relations and conflicts among farmers, and availability of financial resources for procurement of agro-inputs. The factors influencing implementation of bylaws on sustainable crop intensification at the individual level included farmers' knowledge on bylaws (P = 0.03), farmers' participation in activities organised by government agencies (P = 0.01), the farmers' village/location (P = 0.03), farmers' gender (P = 0.001), farmers' other occupations (P = 0.01), and income earnings (P = 0.02), support of local councils and technical persons to implement bylaws (P = 0.01), and knowledge on soil and water conservation laws (P = 0.03). Thus, there is need to protect land rights (regardless of gender), create awareness on best practices and bylaws among farmers, and mobilize resources to strengthen formal and informal farmer groups to enhance sustainable crop intensification and economic development of the potato sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use DNA‐fingerprinting to estimate the poverty reduction effect of adoption of improved cassava varieties in Nigeria. We estimate the counterfactual household income distribution of cassava producers by combining farm‐level treatment effects with a market‐level model. Our results suggest that adoption of improved cassava varieties has led to a 4.6 percentage point reduction in poverty, though this is sensitive to the measurement of adoption status. Therefore, accurate measurement of adoption is crucial for a more credible estimate of the poverty reduction effect of adoption. Our analysis also suggests that farmers who are more likely to be adopters are also likely to face higher structural costs. Addressing structural barriers that make improved technologies less profitable for the poor would therefore be important to increase the poverty reduction effect of improved cassava varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact that misreporting adoption status has on the identification and estimation of causal effects on productivity. In particular, by comparing measurement error-ridden self-reported adoption data with measurement-error-free DNA-fingerprinted adoption data, we investigate the extent to which such errors bias the causal effects of adoption on productivity. Taking DNA-fingerprinted adoption data as a benchmark, we find 25% "false negatives" and 10% "false positives" in farmers' responses. Our results show that misreporting of adoption status is not exogenous to household characteristics, and produces a bias of about 22 percentage points in the productivity impact of adoption. Ignoring inherent behavioral adjustments of farmers based on perceived adoption status has a bias of 13 percentage points. The results of this article underscore the crucial role that correct measurement of adoption plays in designing policy interventions that address constraints to technology adoption in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Applying stochastic frontier Cobb–Douglas production function, the study assessed the efficiency of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) producers in the Southern region of Ethiopia. The study revealed the existence of fairly large technical inefficiency in sweet potato production. The technical efficiency ranged from 12.6 to 93.7%, with more than half of the producers above the mean efficiency level (66.1%). This suggests that there is room for output gains through technical efficiency improvement. If the average producers in the study region are to achieve the technical efficiency level of the most efficient producer in the sample (93.7%), they can realize nearly 30% output gains. The analysis of allocative efficiency also revealed that sweet potato producers were producing sweet potato with sub-optimal utilization of production inputs, suggesting that potential for output gains remains to be exploited through reconfiguration of the existing resource use. They can make more value out of their sweet potato production by reconfiguring their current utilization of production inputs in favour of more land and manure but less seed rate. Furthermore, age and education are important determinants of the efficiency of sweet potato production. In view of these findings, it is advisable to put in place appropriate extension intervention programmes that enable sweet potato producers to exploit the potential gains in sweet potato output through technical and allocative efficiency improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agricultural intensification requires the use of multiple agricultural technologies in an integrated manner to enhance productivity while conserving the natural resource base. This study analyses the adoption and impacts of sustainable intensification practices (SIPs) using a dataset from Ghana. A multivariate probit (MVP) model was estimated to assess the adoption of multiple SIPs. Moreover, we used a multivalued semi-parametric treatment effect (MVTE) model to estimate the effects of adopting multiple SIPs on maize productivity. The MVP model results show, among others, that access to market, capital, and information/knowledge would enhance the adoption of SIPs. The MVTE model results show that a higher number of SIPs is associated with higher productivity which is more visible when commercial inputs are used in combination with cultural practices. These results have the following policy implications. First, they imply that good rural infrastructure and agricultural services such as rural road network, village-level input delivery system, input credit, and multiple information/knowledge sharing approach (instead of the conventional singular formal information/knowledge sharing approach) can enhance adoption. Second, the results suggest that promoting an integrated use of technologies, instead of a single technology, would have a positive impact on farm productivity and farm household income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Nigeria, Aflasafe is a registered biological product for reducing aflatoxin infestation of crops from the field to storage, making the crops safer for consumption. The important questions are whether farmers will purchase and apply this product to reduce aflatoxin contamination of crops, and if so under what conditions. A study was carried out to address these questions and assess determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for the product among maize and groundnut farmers in Kano and Kaduna states in Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to collect primary data from 492 farmers. The majority of farmers who had direct experience with Aflasafe (experienced farmers) in Kano (80.7%) and Kaduna (84.3%) had a WTP bid value equal to or greater than the threshold price ($10) at which Aflasafe was to be sold. The mean WTP estimates for Aflasafe for experienced farmers in Kano and Kaduna were statistically the same. However, values of $3.56 and $7.46 were offered in Kano and Kaduna states, respectively, by farmers who had never applied Aflasafe (inexperienced farmers), and the difference here was significant (P < 0.01). Regression results indicate that contact with extension agents (P < 0.01) and access to credit (P < 0.05) positively and significantly influenced the probability that a farmer would be willing to pay more for Aflasafe than the threshold price. Lack of awareness of the importance of Aflasafe was the major reason cited by inexperienced farmers (64% in Kano state and 21% in Kaduna state) for not using the product. A market strategy promoting a premium price for aflatoxin-safe produce and creating awareness and explaining the availability of Aflasafe to potential users should increase Aflasafe usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the effect of membership in farmer groups (MFG) on adoption lag of agricultural technologies and farm performance in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. We use duration and stochastic production frontier models on farm household data. We find that the longer the duration of MFG, the shorter the adoption lag and much more so if combined with extension service delivery. Farmer groups function as an important mechanism for improving farm productivity through reduced technical inefficiency in input use. We discuss policy implications under which farmer groups are a useful channel to reduce adoption lag, and the means through which improved farm performance can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge on the spread and distribution of insecticide resistance in major malaria vectors such as Anopheles funestus is key to implement successful resistance management strategies across Africa. Here, by assessing the susceptibility status of an inland population of An. funestus Giles (Kpome) and investigating molecular basis of resistance, we show that multiple resistance and consistent plasmodium infection rate are present in Anopheles funestus populations from Kpome. Methods: The insecticide susceptibility level of collected Anopheles funestus was assessed. Synergist (PBO) was used to screen resistance mechanisms. The TaqMan technique was used for genotyping of insecticide resistant alleles and detecting plasmodium infection levels. The nested PCR was used to further assess the plasmodium infection rate. Results: The TaqMan analysis of plasmodial infections revealed an infection rate (18.2 %) of An. funestus in this locality. The WHO bioassays revealed a multiple phenotypic resistance profile for An. funestus in Kpome. This population is highly resistant to pyrethroids (permethrin and deltamethrin), organochlorines (DDT), and carbamates (bendiocarb). A reduced susceptibility was observed with dieldrin. Mortalities did not vary after pre-exposure to PBO for DDT indicating that cytochrome P450s play little role in DDT resistance in Kpome. In contrast, we noticed, a significant increase in mortalities when PBO was combined to permethrin suggesting the direct involvement of P450s in pyrethroid resistance. A high frequency of the L119F-GSTe2 DDT resistance marker was observed in the wild DDT resistant population (9 %RS and 91 %RR) whereas the A296S mutation was detected at a low frequency (1 %RS and 99 %SS). Conclusion: The presence of multiple resistance in An. funestus populations in the inland locality of Kpome is established in this study as recently documented in the costal locality of Pahou. Data from both localities suggest that resistance could be widespread in Benin and this highlights the need for further studies to assess the geographical distribution of insecticide resistance across Benin and neighboring countries as well as a more comprehensive analysis of the resistance mechanisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using household survey data from a sample of about 850 households selected from six States in south-west Nigeria, this paper analyses the effects of the adoption of improved cassava varieties (ICVs) on asset ownership among smallholder farmers. The results of the linear regression with endogenous treatment effects showed that adoption of ICVs is positively related to asset ownership. The results further showed that ICVs had greater impact on asset ownership among female-headed households. The impact analysis using propensity score matching (PSM) showed a significant and positive effect of adoption of ICVs on asset ownership and a negative effect on asset poverty. The empirical results suggest that improved agricultural technologies can play a key role in strengthening asset ownership of smallholder farmers for increased agricultural productivity and income generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Credible empirical evidence is scanty on the social implications of genetically modified (GM) crops in Africa, especially on vegetatively propagated crops. Little is known about the future success of introducing GM technologies into staple crops such as bananas, which are widely produced and consumed in the Great Lakes Region of Africa (GLA). GM banana has a potential to control the destructive banana Xanthomonas wilt disease. Objective: To gain a better understanding of future adoption and consumption of GM banana in the GLA countries which are yet to permit the production of GM crops; specifically, to evaluate the potential economic impacts of GM cultivars resistant to banana Xanthomonas wilt disease. Data Sources: The paper uses data collected from farmers, traders, agricultural extension agents and key informants in the GLA. Analysis: We analyze the perceptions of the respondents about the adoption and consumption of GM crop. Economic surplus model is used to determine future economic benefits and costs of producing GM banana. Results: On the release of GM banana for commercialization, the expected initial adoption rate ranges from 21 to 70%, while the ceiling adoption rate is up to 100%. Investment in the development of GM banana is economically viable. However, aggregate benefits vary substantially across the target countries ranging from US$ 20 million to 953 million, highest in countries where disease incidence and production losses are high, ranging from 51 to 83% of production. Conclusion: The findings support investment in the development of GM banana resistant to Xanthomonas wilt disease. The main beneficiaries of this technology development are farmers and consumers, although the latter benefit more than the former from reduced prices. Designing a participatory breeding program involving farmers and consumers signifies the successful adoption and consumption of GM banana in the target countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper uses the average treatment effect (ATE) to estimate the population potential adoption rates of the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties in Nigeria when awareness and access to their seed are not constrained to farmers. It thus extends previous works in the literature that have focused on estimating potential adoption rates when only awareness of technology is not a constraint to farmers. The adoption gaps because of lack of awareness and access to seed, and the determinants of adoption are estimated as well. Results show that the potential NERICA adoption rate in Nigeria will be 54% if the entire population is aware and up to 62% if they have access to NERICA seed. The actually observed 19% adoption rate implies a population adoption gap of 35% and 43% because of lack of awareness and access to NERICA seed, respectively. It is also inferred from these results that, when awareness is not a constraint, about 8% of the population will fail to adopt NERICA because of lack of access to its seed. Also farmers with secondary education and farmers with access to extension services are more likely to adopt NERICA than farmers without them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analysed farmers' perceptions of the effects of coconut mite in their livelihood and assessed crop diversification as a copping strategy for reduced coconut production. A socio-economic model of farmers' decisions on intercropping as an indicator for overall crop diversity was developed. The study was conducted between November 2009 and March 2010 in five districts in Tanzania, which were selected on the basis of the coconut's economic importance, using structured questionnaires which were administered to 200 household heads. Respondents were categorized in three groups – resource-poor farmers (43% of sample), medium-level farmers (50%) and well-off farmers (7%) according to six criteria. More than 80% of farmers were aware of the negative effects of the coconut mite. The result further indicated that the damaged nuts cause a loss of more than 30% of the cash income from coconut. Intercropping coconut with cassava, maize, cashew nut, sorghum and pineapples were the alternatives used by farmers to cope with declining coconut production caused by coconut mite and lethal yellowing disease. Land ownership and size, income from crops, non-farm income and family size were the main factors that influenced the farmer's decision to diversify crops. Although farmers diversify their cropping systems in order to be self-reliant, there is still a need to promote policies and programmes that will address coconut production constraints such pests and diseases such as rehabilitation of old plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the Box–Cox (BC) transformations to examine nonlinearity in price modeling and compare results from several functional specifications in hedonic price analysis of yam in Togo. Based on a sample of 6,402 observations on price and produce characteristics generated through a market experiment, it is found that the BC quadratic asymmetric specification is the most suitable function. Several characteristics are valued more than others, and prices vary across species, time, and market sites. Some residual symptoms of pest and disease damages on yam tubers reduce their market values. Tuber weight exhibits a diminishing marginal value and price per kilogram decreases above an optimum size; therefore, producers do not derive additional reward from extra-large tubers. We conclude that, to effectively access and benefit from urban markets, producers should focus on small size, low weight, and conical shaped-tubers, which are easy to process and meet the esthetic qualities preferred by urban consumers. The implications for research on improved variety development to reduce poverty and for crop and resource management practices are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the intra-household impact of improved dual-purpose cowpea (IDPC) from a gender perspective, in terms of productivity and food, fodder, and income availability, the impact of which is linked to the income thus placed in the women's hands. Surplus income is important in providing food and nutritional benefits to the home, particularly during periods of risk. More importantly, income generated through the adoption of improved cowpea varieties has entered a largely female domain, where transfers of income reserves were passed on between women of different ages, with significant impact in terms of social and economic development. However, the technology has strengthened the separation of working spheres between men and women. Future technologies should, from the outset, explore provisions existing within the local rubric, to focus on women with the aim of expanding their participation in agriculture with the associated benefits to their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing rate of youth unemployment in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, remains among the challenges to social and economic stability. Accordingly, the Nigerian government implemented several interventions, including the Youth-in-Agribusiness (YIA) program to reduce youth unemployment. However, the effect of these programs on gainful employment creation is yet to be documented. Therefore, this study examined the impact of the YIA program on creating gainful employment among the youth. Multistage random sampling was used to obtain cross-sectional data from 668 youth in Southwestern Nigeria. Propensity score matching and endogenous switching probit techniques were used for the estimations. Results indicated that variables such as educational attainment, access to training, non-agricultural activity, membership in a youth organization, access to credit, productive resources, and youth location were significant and positively influenced youth decision to participate in the YIA program. Furthermore, participation in the YIA program has a significant positive impact on gainful employment among the youth. Therefore, the study recommends that strengthening social capital such as youth organization, credit scheme (financed by private and government), vocational training, and educational system is vital in enhancing participation in the YIA program and eventually gainful employment of youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With data from 683 systematically selected households, the study employed the Heckman two-stage model and the propensity score matching method (PSM) to examine the impact of youth participation in agriculture as a primary occupation on income and poverty in Nigeria. The results indicate that the gender of the youth and their determination to stay in agriculture significantly increases the probability that youth will participate in agriculture as a primary occupation. In addition, youth participation in agriculture as a main occupation contributes significantly to per capita household income and has the likelihood to reduce poverty by 17%. The daily wage rate of hired labor and the total farmland owned are the variables that positively explained the per capita income. Poverty was reduced by market access, having agriculture as a primary occupation, income from agricultural production, the total monetary value of all the household assets, determination to remain in agriculture, and the square of the respondents' age. These results imply that creating employment for youth by engaging them in agriculture as a full-time occupation can increase their income and reduce poverty. However, the promotion of other secondary occupations, land, and market access is also vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the agri-food sector has a huge potential to offer attractive employment opportunities for Africa's burgeoning youth, a negative perception of agriculture persists among Cameroonian youths, such as in many other African countries. The paper assesses the determinants of university students' choices and preferences for agricultural sub-sector engagement in Cameroon. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 550 students from two state universities. We used the SWOT analysis to evaluate students' perceptions of challenges and opportunities within the agricultural sector in Cameroon, the binomial probit analysis to assess the determinants of students' choices of agriculture as a university major, and an ordered probit analysis to evaluate the determinants of students' preferences of agricultural sub-sector engagement. Findings reveal that choice of agriculture as a university major is significantly determined by sex, pre-university farming experience, pre-university academic background, mother's level of education, and household income. Likewise, preference of agricultural sub-sector engagement is significantly determined by the student's level of study and location of a childhood home. Improving the attractiveness of, and working conditions in, the agricultural sector could increase youth engagement in agribusiness and rural economic activities. The results also reinforce the need to increase household income in Cameroon, as this could lift families out of poverty and offer them more economic opportunities. Policies that regulate levels of education can equally be used to allocate human resources into different agricultural sub-sectors, subject to felt needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proponents of the entrepreneurial motivation dichotomy have argued that opportunity-driven entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed and sustain in entrepreneurship, unlike people who start-up businesses out of necessity. However, disagreement still exists on why and under which conditions the former might outperform the latter. This research contributes to this debate by examining the mediation role of psychological capital in the relationship between entrepreneurial motivation and business success among youths. This study relied on a random sample of 295 young entrepreneurs surveyed from Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We applied partial least squares to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Evidence for the positive effect of opportunity-led motivation on psychological capital was found, but the findings did not support any direct effect of entrepreneurial motivation on business success. Instead, psychological capital positively and significantly mediated the relationship between entrepreneurial motivation and business success. This paper makes a distinctive new contribution to the understanding of the intriguing and controversial entrepreneurial motivation dichotomy—a business success relationship. To this end, we have found out that opportunity entrepreneurs have 3% more chance of succeeding in businesses compared to necessity entrepreneurs, because the former outperform the latter by 4% in the dimensions of psychological capital. This paper has new policy implications, as it reveals the great importance of psychological capital in promoting business success, thus reducing unemployment among youths, and offers tips from which psychological capital can be built or improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a country with a high agricultural productivity potential; however, the agribusiness sector remains unattractive to youths. This study examined the extent to which perceived social norms and psychological capital affect youths' intentions to pursue agribusiness opportunities in the Eastern DRC. Data was collected on a sample of 600 youths. We applied Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS−SEM) in order to examine the relationship between the variables. The findings indicated that most of the youths did not select agribusiness as their top career choice. The intention to engage in agribusiness activities was significantly higher among the youths who perceived that agribusiness was socially valued and supported. Psychological capital significantly and positively affects youths' agripreneurial intention. The findings contribute to the underlying Theory of Planned Behavior by supporting a positive mediation role of psychological capital—and the moderating roles of educational level, gender, access to land, and location—on the relationship between perceived social norms and agripreneurial intention. The paper concludes that the provision of funds is not enough to promote youth agripreneurship in an environment in which agricultural-related social norms, youths' psychological capital, gender, access to land, educational level, and location (rural versus urban) are not thoroughly considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has applied the concept of 'circular bioeconomy' to design solutions to address the degradation of natural resources, nutrient-depleted farming systems, hunger, and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Over the past decade, IITA has implemented ten circular bioeconomy focused research for development (R4D) interventions in several countries in the region. This article aims to assess the contributions of IITA's circular bioeconomy focused innovations towards economic, social, and environmental outcomes using the outcome tracking approach, and identify areas for strengthening existing circular bioeconomy R4D interventions using the gap analysis method. Data used for the study came from secondary sources available in the public domain. Results indicate that IITA's circular bioeconomy interventions led to ten technological innovations (bio-products) that translated into five economic, social, and environmental outcomes, including crop productivity, food security, resource use efficiency, job creation, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Our gap analysis identified eight gaps leading to a portfolio of five actions needed to enhance the role of circular bioeconomy in SSA. The results showcase the utility of integrating a circular bioeconomy approach in R4D work, especially how using such an approach can lead to significant economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The evidence presented can help inform the development of a framework to guide circular bioeconomy R4D at IITA and other research institutes working in SSA. Generating a body of evidence on what works, including the institutional factors that create enabling environments for circular bioeconomy approaches to thrive, is necessary for governments and donors to support circular bioeconomy research that will help solve some of the most pressing challenges in SSA as populations grow and generate more waste, thus exacerbating a changing climate using the linear economy model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a country of about 200 million people, the government has over the years constituted various initiatives to address the issue of unemployment, food security, and youth involvement in agriculture. However, the impact of these initiatives has been minimal due to the inconsistency in government policies, changes in government, inadequate implementation mechanism amongst others. This study, therefore, evaluated the impact of the N-power Agro Program on youth employment and income generation through agribusiness in Nigeria. Six hundred and forty-five respondents were randomly selected from the database of N-Power. Structured questionnaires were used in obtaining the data. The statistical analysis of collected data applied descriptive methods, logistic regression model, and regression discontinuity design. The value of ATE of the regression discontinuity design of the income of the participants of N-Power Agro is greater by N30,191.46 than for the nonparticipants. The result of the logistic regression model shows that age, level of education, years of agribusiness experience, and employment status significantly influenced the choice of creating employment through agribusiness and of participating in the N-Power Agro program. The impact of the N-Power Agro program for Nigeria's young men and women on employment and income generation for participants was shown to be effective and positive with the RDD recording an increase in the beneficiaries' income and a discontinuity in the design. Upscaling this program and wider implementation in other countries in collaborations with youth, rural communities and private sectors will ensure that the government can bridge the skills deficit in Africa's youth, develop their capacities for entrepreneurship, and hence, increase jobs creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Involvement of youth in horticulture agribusiness has become a vital approach to create employment opportunities among the youth in Tanzania. This study aimed at examining the extent of youth participation and factors influencing youth involvement in horticulture agribusiness with a focus on innovations in post-harvest management (PHM). Data were collected from a sample of 576 male and female youth in Njombe region using a multi-stage random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using an ordered logit model and descriptive statistics. Results of the ordered logit analysis showed that primary school education, Form IV and above, management innovation, access to credit, good perception of horticulture for agribusiness and improved packaging materials positively and significantly influence youth involvement in horticulture agribusiness. Gender and land size had a negative and significant influence on youth involvement in horticulture agribusiness, as indicated by higher percentages of male youth (59%) participation in the horticulture agribusiness. Therefore, this study suggests increased investment in capacity development of the youth on PHM innovations and the development of rural infrastructure such as agro-processing and storage facilities by the government and private sector. Increasing the availability of improved packaging materials and provision of youth-friendly credit schemes could encourage youth in horticulture agribusiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study undertakes an ex‐ante evaluation of the effects of alternative technology and policy options on soybean supply and demand in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) to 2050. Current soybean consumption in SSA is dominated by cooking oil followed by soybean cake used as animal feed. Due to weak processing sectors and low soybean yields, the region is currently importing about 70% of its consumption requirements. Based on the results from a geospatial bio‐economic modeling framework, soybean consumption in SSA is projected to more than double by 2050 compared to 2010 due in part to a rising population and rising incomes. On the other hand, supply from domestic production is projected to increase by 80% over the same period. Hence, by 2050, net imports into SSA would be nearly 4 times higher than supply from domestic production. Under a future drier climate, some of the production gains achieved through soybean research and extension would be lost and this would further worsen the soybean demand gap in SSA relative to the baseline. This study shows that relying on conventional breeding alone to increase soybean yields in SSA would not be enough to substantially reduce the future demand gap. A combination of promising innovations affecting the soybean value chain across SSA would be needed to close the soybean demand gap in SSA by 2050 under a drier future climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging rural youth in agribusiness has become an important strategy to create employment opportunities in Africa. To this end, governments and development partners have implemented various interventions that facilitate youth engagement in agribusiness for several years. However, there is a dearth of evidence on what worked and what did not work well, making it difficult to inform evidence-based policy making. In an effort to fill this knowledge gap, a comprehensive literature review of the outcomes of interventions related to youth engagement in agribusiness was conducted using a deductive coding approach. Results showed that the interventions implemented by governments and development partners across Africa have succeeded in producing favorable outcomes despite some limitations. Interventions that integrate capacity development, financial support for startups, and continuous mentorship on the technical and financial aspects of youth-run agribusiness projects proved successful in enhancing youth engagement in agribusiness. This suggests that the design and implementation of future interventions should be based on an integrated approach that considers diversity of youths' aspirations and shared capabilities, interests, expectations, as well as challenges associated with access to resources and participation in collective action. The design of future interventions should also be built on strong partnerships among rural communities, academia, research, and private sector for increased impact on livelihood improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]