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Information and Communication Technologies to Provide Agricultural Advice to Smallholder Farmers: Experimental Evidence from Uganda

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  • Bjorn Van Campenhout
  • David J. Spielman
  • Els Lecoutere
Abstract
Agricultural advisory services generally rely on interpersonal knowledge transfers by agricultural extension agents who visit farmers to provide information. This approach is not always effective and has proved hard to scale sustainably, particularly in highly dispersed smallholder farming systems. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been advanced as a promising way to overcome many of the problems associated with conventional agricultural extension. We evaluate the effectiveness of an ICT‐mediated approach to deliver agricultural information in a field experiment conducted among small‐scale maize farmers in eastern Uganda. Three complementary technologies designed to address both informational and behavioral constraints to technical change are considered. First, we investigate the effectiveness of audiovisual messages (video) as a means of delivering information on input use and improved maize management practices to farmers. Second, we quantify the additional impact of complementing video with an interactive voice response (IVR) service. Third, we estimate the incremental effect of time‐sensitive short message services (SMS) messages designed to remind farmers about applying key practices at specific points during the season. We find that households that were shown a short video on how to become better maize farmers were performing significantly better on a knowledge test, more likely to apply recommended practices, and more likely to use fertilizer than households that did not view the video. These same households also reported maize yields about 10.5% higher than those that did not view the video. We find little evidence of an incremental effect of the IVR service or SMS reminders.

Suggested Citation

  • Bjorn Van Campenhout & David J. Spielman & Els Lecoutere, 2021. "Information and Communication Technologies to Provide Agricultural Advice to Smallholder Farmers: Experimental Evidence from Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 317-337, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:ajagec:v:103:y:2021:i:1:p:317-337
    DOI: 10.1002/ajae.12089
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    Cited by:

    1. Fredrick Bagamba & Proscovia R. Ntakyo & Geoffrey Otim & David J. Spielman & Bjorn Van Campenhout, 2023. "Policy and performance in Uganda's seed sector: Opportunities and challenges," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(3), May.
    2. Mössinger, Johannes & Troost, Christian & Berger, Thomas, 2022. "Bridging the gap between models and users: A lightweight mobile interface for optimized farming decisions in interactive modeling sessions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    3. Cai, Yi & Sun, Yucheng & Qi, Wene & Yi, Famin, 2022. "Impact of smartphone use on production outsourcing: evidence from litchi farming in southern China," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 25(4), September.
    4. Abate, Gashaw T. & Bernard, Tanguy & Makhija, Simrin & Spielman, David J., 2023. "Accelerating technical change through ICT: Evidence from a video-mediated extension experiment in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Qianhui Ma & Shaofeng Zheng & Peng Deng, 2022. "Impact of Internet Use on Farmers’ Organic Fertilizer Application Behavior under the Climate Change Context: The Role of Social Network," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Jung, Suhyun & Rogers, Martha, 2024. "Mobile phone adoption, deforestation, and agricultural land use in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    7. Cimino, Antonio & Coniglio, Ilda Maria & Corvello, Vincenzo & Longo, Francesco & Sagawa, Juliana Keiko & Solina, Vittorio, 2024. "Exploring small farmers behavioral intention to adopt digital platforms for sustainable and successful agricultural ecosystems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    8. Campenhout, Bjorn Van, 2021. "ICTs to Address Information Inefficiencies in Food Supply Chains," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315054, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Yi Cai & Wene Qi & Famin Yi, 2023. "Smartphone use and willingness to adopt digital pest and disease management: Evidence from litchi growers in rural China," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(1), pages 131-147, January.
    10. Farris, Jarrad & Maredia, Mywish K. & Mason, Nicole M. & Ortega, David L., 2024. "Farmer personality and community-based extension effectiveness in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    11. Danyang Li & Daizo Kojima & Laping Wu & Mitsuyoshi Ando, 2024. "Impact of rural households' digital ability on their production efficiency in China," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(1), pages 139-160, January.
    12. Xie, Hualin & Huang, Yingqian, 2021. "Influencing factors of farmers' adoption of pro-environmental agricultural technologies in China: Meta-analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    13. Campenhout, Bjorn Van, 2021. "ICTs to Address Information Inefficiencies in Food Supply Chains," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 313801, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Ellinor Isgren & Yann Clough & Alice Murage & Elina Andersson, 2023. "Are agricultural extension systems ready to scale up ecological intensification in East Africa? A literature review with particular attention to the Push-Pull Technology (PPT)," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(5), pages 1399-1420, October.
    15. repec:ags:aaea22:335967 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Elena Feo & Hannes Mareen & Sylvia Burssens & Pieter Spanoghe, 2021. "The Relevance of Videos as a Practical Tool for Communication and Dissemination in Horizon2020 Thematic Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, November.
    17. Fred Mawunyo Dzanku & Robert Darko Osei, 2023. "Does combining traditional and information and communications technology–based extension methods improve agricultural outcomes? Evidence from field experiments in Mali," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 450-475, February.
    18. Nicoletta Giulivi & Aurélie P. Harou & Shriniwas Gautam & Davíd Guereña, 2023. "Getting the message out: Information and communication technologies and agricultural extension," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(3), pages 1011-1045, May.
    19. Fred Mawunyo Dzanku & Robert Osei & Isaac Osei‐Akoto, 2021. "The impact of mobile phone voice message reminders on agricultural outcomes in Mali," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(5), pages 789-806, September.
    20. Hongyun Zheng & Wanglin Ma, 2023. "Smartphone-based information acquisition and wheat farm performance: insights from a doubly robust IPWRA estimator," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 633-658, June.
    21. Baozhi Li & Ni Zhuo & Chen Ji & Qibiao Zhu, 2022. "Influence of Smartphone-Based Digital Extension Service on Farmers’ Sustainable Agricultural Technology Adoption in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, August.

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