Seeing is believing? Evidence from an extension network experiment
Open accessAbstract
Extension is designed to enable lab-to-farm technology diffusion. Decentralized models assume that information flows from researchers to extension workers, and from extension agents to contact farmers (CFs). CFs should then train other farmers in their communities. Such a modality may fail to address informational inefficiencies and accountability issues. We run a field experiment to measure the impact of augmenting the CF model with a direct CF training on the diffusion of a new technology. All villages have CFs and access the same extension network. In treatment villages, CFs additionally receive a three-day, central training on the new technology. We track information transmission through two nodes of the extension network: from extension agents to CFs, and from CFs to other farmers. Directly training CFs leads to a large, statistically significant increase in adoption among CFs. However, higher levels of CF adoption have limited impact on the behavior of other farmers.
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References 70 · Cited by 191
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Akroyd, S., Smith, L., 2007. Review of public spending to agriculture. A Joint Study by the Department for International Development and the World Bank, 5.
- Eicher, C.K., 2002. Building african models of agricultural extension: A case study of Mozambique. In: Workshop Extension and Rural Development: A Convergence of Views on International Approaches, pp. 12-15.
- Gemo, H., Eicher, C.K., Teclemariam, S., 2005. Mozambique's Experience in Building a National Extension System. Michigan State University Press.
- Authors
- Kondylis, F., Mueller, V., & Zhu, J.
- Affiliations
- World Bank (US)
- International Food Policy Research Institute (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kondylis, Florence
- Venue
- Journal of Development Economics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-03
- Volume
- 125
- Pages
- 1-20
- ISSN
- 0304-3878 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2138259534
- Cited by
- 191
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 41.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Development Economics (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- IFPRI E-brary (International Food Policy Research Institute) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- International Food Policy Research Institute (International Food Policy Research Institute) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- United States Agency for International Development
- International Fine Particle Research Institute
- Global Development Network
- Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agricultural Innovations and Practices
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agricultural Development and Management
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Innovation Diffusion and Forecasting
- Keywords
- agricultural extension, technology diffusion, contact farmers, agricultural extension workers, farmer training, information transmission, technology adoption, accountability
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