Accelerating technical change through ICT

Evidence from a video-mediated extension experiment in Ethiopia

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11916004
AutoresGashaw Tadesse Abate (0000-0003-2026-8066, International Food Policy Research Institute, autor de correspondencia), Tanguy Bernard (0000-0003-2554-0217, Sciences Po Bordeaux), Simrin Makhija (International Food Policy Research Institute), David J Spielman (0000-0002-6889-7358)
Año2022
Volumen161
Páginas106089-106089
Fecha de publicación2022-09-07
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWorld Development (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0305-750X • E-ISSN: 1873-5991
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106089
PMID36597414
OpenAlexW4295335505
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas17
Referencias citadas56

Despite enthusiasm around applications of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to smallholder agriculture in many lower-income countries, there are still many questions on the effectiveness of ICT-based approaches. This study assesses the impacts of video-mediated agricultural extension service provision on farmers' adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices in Ethiopia using data from a two-year randomized experiment. Our results show that the video-mediated extension approach significantly increases uptake of recommended technologies and practices by improving extension access and farmer knowledge. Specifically, we find that video-mediated extension reaches a wider audience than the government's conventional extension approach and leads to higher levels of farmer understanding and uptake of the subject technologies in those locations randomly assigned to the program. While our results also point to greater extension access and greater knowledge among female spouses in locations where both male and female spouses were targeted by the program, we do not find clear evidence that a more inclusive approach translates into higher uptake of the subject technologies. Finally, we find that the video-mediated approach becomes less costly as the scale of operation increases

Agricultural extension · Agriculture · Business · Economic growth · Economics · Emerging technologies · Enthusiasm · Extension (predicate logic · Geography · Government (linguistics · ICTS · Information and Communications Technology · Political science · Service (business · Agricultural Innovations and Practices · Computer Science · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Psychology · Marketing