Effects Of Agricultural Mechanization On Smallholders And Their Self Selection Into Farming

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Effects of agricultural mechanization on smallholders and their self-selection into farming

Takeshima, Hiroyuki,Shrestha, Rudra Bahadur,Kaphle, Basu Dev,Karkee, Madhab,Pokhrel, Suroj,Kumar, Anjani
Effects of agricultural mechanization on smallholders and their self selection into farming Book PDF

Author : Takeshima, Hiroyuki,Shrestha, Rudra Bahadur,Kaphle, Basu Dev,Karkee, Madhab,Pokhrel, Suroj,Kumar, Anjani
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2016-12-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Effects of agricultural mechanization on smallholders and their self-selection into farming by Takeshima, Hiroyuki,Shrestha, Rudra Bahadur,Kaphle, Basu Dev,Karkee, Madhab,Pokhrel, Suroj,Kumar, Anjani Pdf

This research was undertaken to better assess the role of mechanization in the future of smallholder farmers in Nepal. It addresses the knowledge gap about whether promoting mechanization that is often complementary to land can effectively support smallholders, particularly in the face of a growing nonfarm sector. Rising rural wages in Nepal have increasingly put pressures on smallholder farmers, who tend to operate labor-intensive farming. Agricultural mechanization through custom hiring of tractor services has recently been considered as an option to mitigate the impact of rising labor costs for smallholders. However, the benefit of agricultural mechanization may still be better captured by exploiting the economies of scale of medium to large farmers rather than smallholders. In the meantime, the Nepal agricultural sector still employs a disproportionate share of workers given its share in the economy, potentially depressing agricultural labor productivity. It is therefore an important policy question whether to (1) continue supporting smallholders through custom-hired tractor services or (2) encourage smallholders to rent their farms out to medium-size or larger farmers, while helping smallholders specialize in the nonfarm sector, where their labor productivity may be higher. Using samples from the Terai zone—one of the agroecological belts in Nepal, largely consisting of lowland plains— from the Nepal Living Standards Survey, we assess whether the benefits of hiring in tractor services are greater among medium to large farmers than among smallholders, and how these benefits may depend on smallholders’ decision to remain in or leave farming. This study also contributes to the impact evaluation literature by showing that jointly assessing the effects of two treatments (whether to adopt custom-hired tractor services and continue farming, or to search for better options and specialize in off-farm activities) can lead to different implications than assessing them separately. Our analyses suggest that the government should continue to promote custom-hired tractor services not only for medium to large farmers but also for smallholders. If, over time, barriers to specializing in nonfarm activities are lowered and more smallholders start leaving farming, mechanization may no longer benefit the remaining smallholders. Support for mechanization can then be focused more on medium to large farmers, while types of support other than mechanization can be devised for the remaining smallholders.

An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia?

Diao, Xinshen, ed.,Takeshima, Hiroyuki. ed.,Zhang, Xiaobo, ed.
An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development How much can Africa learn from Asia Book PDF

Author : Diao, Xinshen, ed.,Takeshima, Hiroyuki. ed.,Zhang, Xiaobo, ed.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 548 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2020-12-07
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780896293809

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An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia? by Diao, Xinshen, ed.,Takeshima, Hiroyuki. ed.,Zhang, Xiaobo, ed. Pdf

Agricultural mechanization in Africa south of the Sahara — especially for small farms and businesses — requires a new paradigm to meet the needs of the continent’s evolving farming systems. Can Asia, with its recent success in adopting mechanization, offer a model for Africa? An Evolving Paradigm of Agricultural Mechanization Development analyzes the experiences of eight Asian and five African countries. The authors explore crucial government roles in boosting and supporting mechanization, from import policies to promotion policies to public good policies. Potential approaches presented to facilitating mechanization in Africa include prioritizing market-led hiring services, eliminating distortions, and developing appropriate technologies for the African context. The role of agricultural mechanization within overall agricultural and rural transformation strategies in Africa is also discussed. The book’s recommendations and insights should be useful to national policymakers and the development community, who can adapt this knowledge to local contexts and use it as a foundation for further research.

Agricultural Transformation in Nepal

Ganesh Thapa,Anjani Kumar,P.K. Joshi
Agricultural Transformation in Nepal Book PDF

Author : Ganesh Thapa,Anjani Kumar,P.K. Joshi
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 652 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2019-11-25
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9789813296480

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Agricultural Transformation in Nepal by Ganesh Thapa,Anjani Kumar,P.K. Joshi Pdf

This book addresses some key strategic questions related to agriculture in the context of major contemporary developments and emerging challenges in Nepal such as the changing role of agriculture with economic growth, structural transformation in reducing poverty, improving nutritional outcomes, and addressing the challenges of climate change. The book also suggests policy measures to improve the delivery of critical inputs and services and ensure the participation of marginal and smallholders in high-value chains. Further, it discusses how the new federal system and governance structure will affect the delivery of agricultural technology and services. The book is divided into five parts. Part I discusses macro-issues in the agriculture sector, while Part II focuses on agricultural productivity growth and its main drivers. The third part explores diversification in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors by farmers and other rural people for livelihood improvement, while the fourth part deals with agricultural trade and marketing issues, highlighting policy implications and recommendations in the areas of immediate focus and further research. Lastly, Part V addresses institutions and governance issues, which are vital for agricultural development. In the final chapter, the editors summarize and synthesize the book’s main findings and develop a policy agenda for addressing the many challenges faced by the agriculture sector in Nepal, so as to make it more productive, competitive, sustainable, and inclusive. The book offers a rich source of analytical information on various aspects of agricultural development in Nepal and will be of immense value to policymakers, development partners, civil society, students, and those interested in the economic and agricultural development of not only Nepal, but also other developing countries.

Nepal’s 2072 federal constitution: Implications for the governance of the agricultural sector

Kyle, Jordan,Resnick, Danielle
Nepal s 2072 federal constitution Implications for the governance of the agricultural sector Book PDF

Author : Kyle, Jordan,Resnick, Danielle
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 84 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2016-12-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Nepal’s 2072 federal constitution: Implications for the governance of the agricultural sector by Kyle, Jordan,Resnick, Danielle Pdf

In this paper we explore the implications of Nepal’s new federal Constitution—passed in September 2015—for governance of the agricultural sector. Agriculture is the backbone of the Nepali economy, providing a livelihood for approximately two-thirds of the population, contributing one-third of the country’s GDP, and constituting more than half of the country’s exports. In transitioning from a unitary to a federal republic—with greater authority and autonomy granted to subnational units of government—it is of paramount importance to ensure that the agricultural sector is guided by coordinated planning, retains sufficient human capacity, and receives adequate fiscal resources. These considerations are particularly important given that the governance of Nepal’s agricultural sector already suffers from poor coordination, low human resources capacity, and inadequate financial resources. Addressing these issues may become more difficult under a federal structure. This paper begins by laying out the main challenges for agricultural governance in Nepal under the current structure. To do so, it relies on an original survey of 100 district agricultural and livestock officers in charge of local agricultural service delivery in Nepal as well as perspectives collected through more than two dozen semi-structured interviews with officials from the Ministry of Agricultural Development, the Ministry of Livestock Development, civil society, the private sector, and donors. Because Nepal is embarking on a pathway to more decentralized governance, which has been well-trodden by a number of other countries, the paper proceeds by examining five case studies, drawing lessons from India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, and South Africa. Based on these analyses, the paper offers policy recommendations on how the sector can be restructured to meet the constitutional provisions, while simultaneously ensuring that the government can deliver on its long-term objectives to develop the agricultural sector.

Entitlement fetching or snatching? Effects of arbitrage on India’s public distribution system

Chakrabarti, Suman,Kishore, Avinash,Roy, Devesh
Entitlement fetching or snatching Effects of arbitrage on India s public distribution system Book PDF

Author : Chakrabarti, Suman,Kishore, Avinash,Roy, Devesh
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2016-12-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Entitlement fetching or snatching? Effects of arbitrage on India’s public distribution system by Chakrabarti, Suman,Kishore, Avinash,Roy, Devesh Pdf

Would households be able to buy more subsidized grains from a food-based safety-net program if the difference between prices in the program and in the open market were to increase? This is an important question for safety-net programs anywhere in the world, but particularly so for the public distribution system (PDS) of grains in India—the largest food-based safety-net program in the world. The standard economic intuition suggests that price controls distort signals and create incentives for unintended transactions. Price difference between the PDS and the open market compromise entitlements and divert grains to open markets—an entitlement-snatching effect. Drèze and Sen (2013), however, posit the opposite—an entitlement-fetching effect, where an increase in arbitrage increases the value of PDS entitlement. This raises the stakes in the PDS for eligible beneficiaries, resulting in a rise in accountability and ultimately an increase in household purchases of grains from the PDS. We test these two competing hypotheses using multiple datasets: consumer expenditure surveys conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization, and panel datasets from the India Human Development Survey and the Village Dynamics in South Asia. Depending on the context, we find both entitlement-snatching and entitlement-fetching effects. In states where welfare programs are better governed, the Drèze and Sen (2013) conjecture holds. Conversely, in states like Bihar and Jharkhand—where welfare programs are poorly run—the opposite pattern holds; that is, households’ purchase of subsidized grains recedes with greater arbitrage.

Harnessing net primary productivity data for monitoring sustainable development of agriculture

Robinson, Nathaniel P.,Cox, Cindy M.,Koo, Jawoo
Harnessing net primary productivity data for monitoring sustainable development of agriculture Book PDF

Author : Robinson, Nathaniel P.,Cox, Cindy M.,Koo, Jawoo
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2016-12-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Harnessing net primary productivity data for monitoring sustainable development of agriculture by Robinson, Nathaniel P.,Cox, Cindy M.,Koo, Jawoo Pdf

This study was undertaken to assess the utility of remotely sensed net primary productivity (NPP) data to measure agricultural sustainability by applying a new methodology that captures spatial variability and trends in total NPP and in NPP removed at harvest. The sustainable intensification of agriculture is widely promoted as a means for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and transitioning toward a more productive, sustainable, and inclusive agriculture, particularity in fragile environments. Yet critics claim that the 17 SDGs and 169 targets are immeasurable and unmanageable. We propose adoption of satellite-estimated, time-series NPP data to monitor agricultural intensification and sustainability, as it is one indicator potentially valuable across several SDGs. To illustrate, we present a unique monitoring framework and a novel indicator, the agricultural appropriation of net primary productivity (AANPP) and analyze spatial trends in NPP and AANPP across the continent of Africa. AANPP focuses on the proportion of total crop NPP removed at harvest. We estimate AANPP by overlaying remotely sensed satellite imagery with rasterized crop production data at 10-by-10-kilometer spatial resolution; we explore variation in NPP and AANPP in terms of food and ecological security. The spatial distribution of NPP and AANPP illustrates the dominance of cropping systems as spatial drivers of NPP across many regions in West and East Africa, as well as in the fertile river valleys across North Africa and the Sahel, where access to irrigation and other technological inputs are inflating AANPP relative to NPP. A comparison of 2000 and 2005 datasets showed increasing AANPP in African countries south of the Sahara—particularly in Mozambique, Angola, and Zambia—whereas NPP either held stable or decreased considerably. This pattern was especially evident subnationally in Ethiopia. Such trends highlight increasing vulnerability of populations to food and ecological insecurity. When combined with other indicators and time-series data, the significance of NPP and the capacity of spatially explicit datasets have far-reaching implications for monitoring the progress of sustainable development in a post-2015 world.

Climate change, agriculture, and adaptation in the Republic of Korea to 2050

Cenacchi, Nicola,Lin, Youngaha,Sulser, Timothy B.,Islam, Shahnila,Mason-D’Croz, Daniel,Kim, Chang-Gil,Wiebe, Keith D.
Climate change agriculture and adaptation in the Republic of Korea to 2050 Book PDF

Author : Cenacchi, Nicola,Lin, Youngaha,Sulser, Timothy B.,Islam, Shahnila,Mason-D’Croz, Daniel,Kim, Chang-Gil,Wiebe, Keith D.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 92 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2016-12-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Climate change, agriculture, and adaptation in the Republic of Korea to 2050 by Cenacchi, Nicola,Lin, Youngaha,Sulser, Timothy B.,Islam, Shahnila,Mason-D’Croz, Daniel,Kim, Chang-Gil,Wiebe, Keith D. Pdf

As the effects of climate change set in, and population and income growth exert increasing pressure on natural resources, food security is becoming a pressing challenge for countries worldwide. Awareness of these threats is critical to transforming concern into long-term planning, and modeling tools like the one used in the present study are beneficial for strategic support of decision making in the agricultural policy arena. The focus of this investigation is the Republic of Korea, where economic growth has resulted in large shifts in diet in recent decades, in parallel with a decline in both arable land and agricultural production, and a tripling of agricultural imports, compared to the early 2000s. Although these are recognized as traits of a rapidly growing economy, officials and experts in the country recognize that the trends expose the Republic of Korea to climate change shocks and fluctuations in the global food market. This study uses the IMPACT (International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade) economic model to investigate possible future trends of both domestic food production and dependence on food imports, as well as the effects from adoption of agricultural practices consistent with a climate change adaptation strategy. The goal is to help assess the prospects for sustaining improvements in food security and possibly inform the national debate on agricultural policy. Results show that historical trends of harvested area and imports may continue into the future under climate change. Although crop models suggest negative long-term impacts of climate change on rice yield in the Republic of Korea, the economic model simulations show that intrinsic productivity growth and market effects have the potential to limit the magnitude of losses; rice production and yield are projected to keep growing between 2010 and 2050, with a larger boost when adoption of improved technologies is taken into consideration. At the same time, food production and net exports from the country’s major trading partners are also projected to increase, although diminished by climate change effects. In sum, these results show that kilocalorie availability will keep growing in the Republic of Korea, and although climate change may have some impact by reducing the overall availability, the effect does not appear strong enough to have significant consequences on projected trends of increasing food security.

The effect of land inheritance on youth employment and migration decisions: Evidence from rural Ethiopia

Kosec, Katrina,Ghebru, Hosaena,Holtemeyer, Brian,Mueller, Valerie,Schmidt, Emily
The effect of land inheritance on youth employment and migration decisions Evidence from rural Ethiopia Book PDF

Author : Kosec, Katrina,Ghebru, Hosaena,Holtemeyer, Brian,Mueller, Valerie,Schmidt, Emily
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2016-12-29
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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The effect of land inheritance on youth employment and migration decisions: Evidence from rural Ethiopia by Kosec, Katrina,Ghebru, Hosaena,Holtemeyer, Brian,Mueller, Valerie,Schmidt, Emily Pdf

How does the amount of land youth expect to inherit affect their migration and employment decisions? This paper explores this question in the context of rural Ethiopia using panel data from 2010 and 2014. We estimate a household fixed-effects model and exploit exogenous variation in the timing of land redistributions to overcome endogenous household decisions about how much land to bequeath to descendants. We find that larger expected land inheritances significantly lower the likelihood of long-distance permanent migration and of permanent migration to urban areas during this time. Inheriting more land is also associated with a significantly higher likelihood of employment in agriculture and a lower likelihood of employment in the nonagricultural sector. Conversely, the decision to attend school is unaffected. These results appear to be most heavily driven by males and by the older half of our youth sample. We also find several mediating factors matter. Land inheritance plays a much more pronounced role in predicting rural-to-urban permanent migration and nonagricultural-sector employment in areas with less vibrant land markets and in relatively remote areas (those far from major urban centers). Overall, the results suggest that inheritance strongly influences the spatial location and strategic employment decisions of youth.

Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization: A Framework for Africa

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,African Union
Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization A Framework for Africa Book PDF

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,African Union
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2019-03-13
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9789251308714

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Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization: A Framework for Africa by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,African Union Pdf

This framework presents ten interrelated principles/elements to guide Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (SAMA). Further, it presents the technical issues to be considered under SAMA and the options to be analysed at the country and sub regional levels. The ten key elements required in a framework for SAMA are as follows: The analysis in the framework calls for a specific approach, involving learning from other parts of the world where significant transformation of the agricultural mechanization sector has already occurred within a three-to-four decade time frame, and developing policies and programmes to realize Africa’s aspirations of Zero Hunger by 2025. This approach entails the identification and prioritization of relevant and interrelated elements to help countries develop strategies and practical development plans that create synergies in line with their agricultural transformation plans. Given the unique characteristics of each country and the diverse needs of Africa due to the ecological heterogeneity and the wide range of farm sizes, the framework avoids being prescriptive.

How headquarters relocation is affected by rising wages and ownership: Evidence from China's annual survey of industrial enterprises, 1999–2008

Wang, Qingtao,Chen, Kevin Z.,Chiang, Longwen,Xie, Xuanli
How headquarters relocation is affected by rising wages and ownership Evidence from China s annual survey of industrial enterprises 1999 2008 Book PDF

Author : Wang, Qingtao,Chen, Kevin Z.,Chiang, Longwen,Xie, Xuanli
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 28 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2016-12-23
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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How headquarters relocation is affected by rising wages and ownership: Evidence from China's annual survey of industrial enterprises, 1999–2008 by Wang, Qingtao,Chen, Kevin Z.,Chiang, Longwen,Xie, Xuanli Pdf

Industrial wages have increased significantly in China in recent years. At the same time, there have been widening gaps in wages across provinces. These trends are likely to prompt company headquarters to relocate. The relocation choices of headquarters are likely to change under different ownership, as a result of variations in their internal capabilities as well as the distinctive nature of their businesses. This paper is the first attempt to examine the effects of rising wages on headquarters’ relocation by ownership. Data were obtained from the China Statistical Yearbook and the Annual Survey of Industrial Enterprises for the period 1998 through 2008. These data allow for differentiation among companies with regard to five types of enterprises: foreign owned, Sino-foreign owned, state owned, domestically joint owned, and privately owned. We use a conditional logit model to identify factors to determine which province headquarters chose to relocate. In addition, we consider the impact of these choices on the “minimum wage standard” introduced in 2004. Results indicate that wages insignificantly affected the relocation choice of all types of headquarters before 2004. After 2004, on average, headquarters were more likely to relocate to low-wage provinces, as predicted by “overall cost leadership.” However, we also find that relocation choices are significantly affected by ownership type. While privately owned and state-owned enterprises are likely to relocate to areas with lower wages, foreign-owned headquarters tend to relocate to high-wage areas, as predicted by the “efficiency wage theory.” Wages did not affect the relocation choices of Sino-foreign-owned companies, but had a negative effect on those of domestically joint-owned headquarters.

External shocks, food security, and development

Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio,Piñeiro, Valeria,Elverdin, Pablo
External shocks food security and development Book PDF

Author : Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio,Piñeiro, Valeria,Elverdin, Pablo
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2016-12-23
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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External shocks, food security, and development by Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio,Piñeiro, Valeria,Elverdin, Pablo Pdf

We conduct an ex ante evaluation of the impacts of a potential global recession within the next years and the possible policy responses to support economic activity and improve social indicators in five Central American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. We review the economic and social evolution of the past decades in those countries, and we consider a global scenario that includes further deceleration of world growth, lower commodity prices, and a decline in remittances and capital flows to those countries. We simulate those scenarios and related policy issues using recursive dynamic CGE models for the countries considered. The global shock is run under fixed exchange rates and flexible exchange rates (in the case of El Salvador, which has adopted the US dollar as the domestic currency, the simulation of a flexible exchange rate is just indicative). In all cases, a flexible exchange rate delivers better results in terms of GDP per capita, by softening the overall economic impact of the external shocks. Two possible interventions to deal with the recession are simulated: one focuses on policies to strengthen the safety net for the poor; the other applies a more general macroeconomic stimulus (a tax cut plus a modest increase in public investments, financed by un-conventional monetary policy) to try to cushion the shock. For all countries except El Salvador, these two simulations are run with a flexible exchange rate. In the first policy simulation GDP per capita in those countries does not change much, but the poor groups targeted clearly improve their incomes and consumption, helping them the most during the years of the negative shocks. In the second simulation, the macroeconomic stimulus improves the performance of the economies, allowing GDP per capita to be higher than in the case of the shock alone. In summary, facing a potential global downturn as the one simulated here, those countries that have flexible exchange rates and the use of domestic monetary policies can use a mix of adjustment in exchange rates combined with targeted poverty transfers and macroeconomic stimulus to alleviate the shock. El Salvador, which does not have the exchange rate and monetary instruments, will require further support from multilateral and bilateral sources to soften the shock

Building effective clusters and industrial parks

Zhang, Xiaobo
Building effective clusters and industrial parks Book PDF

Author : Zhang, Xiaobo
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 20 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2016-12-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Building effective clusters and industrial parks by Zhang, Xiaobo Pdf

It is a daunting task to build institution and infrastructure over a short time period in developing countries. But in the absence of sound institutions and adequate infrastructure, it is difficult for economic transformation to take place. An alternative is to facilitate existing industrial clusters or build industrial parks by creating an enabling environment in a limited place. This paper reviews the commonly used strategies to build effective clusters and industrial parks. Clusters and industrial parks are location specific. Because they have an informational advantage, local governments are in a better position than the central government to identify and solve the bottlenecks that affect clusters and industrial parks. As clusters and industrial parks evolve, new bottlenecks emerge, thereby requiring new solutions. This in turns calls for continuous tinkering by local governments. It is important to place local governments and business communities in the driver’s seat of local economic growth so that they can watch out for and adjust to the bumps in the road ahead.

The role of learning in technology adoption: Evidence on hybrid rice adoption in Bihar, India

Gars, Jared,Ward, Patrick S.
The role of learning in technology adoption Evidence on hybrid rice adoption in Bihar India Book PDF

Author : Gars, Jared,Ward, Patrick S.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2016-12-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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The role of learning in technology adoption: Evidence on hybrid rice adoption in Bihar, India by Gars, Jared,Ward, Patrick S. Pdf

Much empirical research has shown that individuals’ decisions to adopt a new technology are the result of learning–both through personal experimentation through observing the experimentation of others. Yet even casual observation would suggest significant heterogeneity of learning processes, manifesting itself in widely varying patterns of adoption over space and time. This paper explores this heterogeneity in the context of early adoption of hybrid rice in rural India. Using specially designed experiments conducted as part of a primary survey in the field, we identify which of four broad learning heuristics most accurately reflects individuals’ information processing strategies. Linking these learning heuristics with observed use of rice hybrids, we demonstrate that pure Bayesian learning is well suited for the tinkering and marginal adjustments that are required to learn about a technology like hybrid rice, but it is also more cognitively taxing than other learning styles requiring a longer memory and more complex updating processes. Consequently, only about 25 percent of the farmers in our sample can be characterized as pure Bayesian learners. Present-biased learning and relying on first impressions will likely hinder adoption of a technology like hybrid rice, even after controlling for access to credit and a rudimentary proxy for intelligence.

Changing preferences through experimental games

Stopnitzky, Yaniv
Changing preferences through experimental games Book PDF

Author : Stopnitzky, Yaniv
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2016-12-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Changing preferences through experimental games by Stopnitzky, Yaniv Pdf

Much policy interest in sanitation and hygiene promotion focuses on changing behavior and increasing demand for these goods. Yet the effectiveness of large-scale interventions has been mixed, in large part because of the difficulty of changing attitudes on deeply rooted behaviors. This study tests whether an experiential learning exercise structured around an experimental game can be used to shift preferences around sanitation and hygiene. A minimum coordination game is adapted to the sanitation and hygiene setting by linking game choices to real-world investment decisions and payoffs in terms of health and status. Individuals from 20 villages in rural Tamil Nadu were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one that played a game in which communication between rounds was allowed, another that played a game in which communication was prohibited, and a control group that only completed a survey. Based on a comparison of survey responses across treatment arms, the game improved stated preferences in relation to sanitation and hygiene. This effect was larger when communication was allowed, and men responded on average more strongly than women across both versions of the game. These results suggest that experimental games can be a valuable tool not only for the study of decision making but for improving participants’ knowledge and pro-sanitation preferences.

The dark side of competition

Chang, Simone,Kan, Kamhon,Zhang, Xiaobo
The dark side of competition Book PDF

Author : Chang, Simone,Kan, Kamhon,Zhang, Xiaobo
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2016-12-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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The dark side of competition by Chang, Simone,Kan, Kamhon,Zhang, Xiaobo Pdf

The literature has placed great emphasis on the advantages of competition on market efficiency while ignoring the downside of competition on health. Using a natural experiment in Taiwan, we show that excessive competition comes at a health cost. In the late 1940s, half a million soldiers retreated to Taiwan from Mainland China after a civil war. They were initially not allowed to get married until the marriage ban was essentially lifted in 1959. As a large number of soldiers flooded the marriage market, men faced much stronger mating competition than before, which in turn increased the likelihood of male depression and mortality.