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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

David Spielman

David Spielman is the director of IFPRI’s Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit and has been with the institute since 2004. His research agenda covers a range of topics including agriculture and rural development policy; agricultural science, technology, and innovation; plant genetic resources and seed systems; agricultural extension and advisory services; and community-driven rural development.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is dedicated to advancing world-class scientific research that has scientific and societal impact. The NWO fosters interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research, with an emphasis on fundamental research. NWO funds the personnel and material costs for scientific research and knowledge exchange and impact activities of Dutch universities and public research institutes.

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Projects

Picture-Based Crop Insurance (PBI)

Picture-Based Crop Insurance (PBI)

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Publications

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Working Paper

Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption

2023Miehe, Caroline; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Sparrow, Robert; Spielman, David J.
Details

Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption

To fully benefit from new agricultural technologies like improved seed varieties, significant investment in complementary inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and practices such as systematic planting, irrigation, and weeding are also required. Farmers may fail to recognize the importance of these complements, leading to unsatisfactory crop yields and outputs and, eventually, dis-adoption of the variety. We provide a simple model of biased expectations, complementary input use and technology adoption and test its predictions using a field experiment among smallholder maize farmers in eastern Uganda. We find that pointing out the importance of complementary investments using a short, engaging video effectively deters some farmers from using commercial improved varieties. Consistent with the theoretical model, we find some evidence that this behavior change emanates from increased knowledge and expectations that are more in line with realized outcomes.

Year published

2023

Authors

Miehe, Caroline; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Sparrow, Robert; Spielman, David J.

Citation

Miehe, Caroline; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Nabwire, Leocardia; Sparrow, Robert; and Spielman, David J. 2023. Miracle seeds: Biased expectations, complementary input use, and the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2183. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136700.

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Technologies; Seeds; Investments; Fertilizers; Pesticides; Planting; Irrigation; Weeding; Farmers; Crop Yield; Outputs; Innovation Adoption; Smallholders; Maize; Behaviour; Knowledge

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136700 Source record

Project

Market Intelligence

Record type

Working Paper

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Working Paper

Gendered perceptions in maize supply chains: Evidence from Uganda

2021Van Campenhout, Bjorn; De, Anusha
Details

Gendered perceptions in maize supply chains: Evidence from Uganda

In situations with imperfect information, the way that value chain actors perceive each other is an important determinant of the value chain’s structure and performance. Inaccurate perceptions may result in inefficient value chains, and systematic bias in perceptions may affect nclusiveness. In a case study on perceptions in Ugandan maize supply chains, a random sample of farmers were asked to rate upstream and downstream value chain actors-agro-input dealers, traders, and processors-on a set of important attributes that included ease of access, quality of services rendered, price competitiveness, and overall reputation. These value chain actors were then tracked and asked to assess themselves on the same set of attributes. We find that input dealers, traders, and processors assess themselves more favourably than farmers do. We also focus on heterogeneity in perceptions related to gender and find that for self- assessments, the gender of the value chain actor does not matter. However, the difference between how actors assess themselves and how farmers perceive them is larger for male than for female farmers, as female farmers appear to rate dealers, traders, and processors signicantly higher in several dimensions. The gender of the actor being rated does not affect the rating they receive, and gender-based homophily among women is not present in rating behaviour.

Year published

2021

Authors

Van Campenhout, Bjorn; De, Anusha

Citation

Van Campenhout, Bjorn; and De, Anusha. 2021. Gendered perceptions in maize supply chains: Evidence from Uganda. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2054. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134733.

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Eastern Africa; Value Chains; Gender; Supply Chains; Farmers; Maize; Trade; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134733 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Working Paper

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Brief

A new model for inclusive seed delivery: Lessons from a pilot study in Kenya: Leveraging champion farmers’ entrepreneurial know-how to reach the last mile

2021Kramer, Berber; Waweru, Carol; Waithaka, Lilian; Eyase, Jean; Chegeh, Joseph; Kivuva, Benjamin; Cecchi, Francesco
Details

A new model for inclusive seed delivery: Lessons from a pilot study in Kenya: Leveraging champion farmers’ entrepreneurial know-how to reach the last mile

Climate change has exacerbated the frequency and severity of extreme weather events affecting the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa. Risks such as increased droughts, pests, floods, and heatwaves are projected to increase significantly in future years. The formal seed sector is an important entry point to help farmers better manage these risks, as it provides access to high-quality certified seeds of improved stress-tolerant varieties, selected and bred to maximize productivity in good years, whilst reducing the impact of climate change risks in bad years. The challenge, however, is that the formal market is not always inclusive and is more accessible to middle- or largescale (and often male) farmers. Smaller farmers (often female) are more likely to obtain seeds from informal sources (friends or peers) or collect their own seeds from the crops they grow. This creates social inequities in distribution channels for quality seeds; and in qualitative research, farmers informed us that the COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted their access to inputs.

Year published

2021

Authors

Kramer, Berber; Waweru, Carol; Waithaka, Lilian; Eyase, Jean; Chegeh, Joseph; Kivuva, Benjamin; Cecchi, Francesco

Citation

Kramer, Berber; Waweru, Carol; Waithaka, Lilian; Eyase, Jean; Chegeh, Joseph; Kivuva, Benjamin; and Cecchi, Francesco. 2021. A new model for inclusive seed delivery: Lessons from a pilot study in Kenya: Leveraging champion farmers’ entrepreneurial know-how to reach the last mile. Project July 2021. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134491.

Country/Region

Kenya

Keywords

Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Eastern Africa; Models; Seeds; Entrepreneurship; Farmers; Modelling; Inclusion

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134491 Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Blogs

‘Miracle seeds,’ informational curses? The risk of high expectations for new agricultural technologies
Research Post
 | 
June 22, 2023

‘Miracle seeds,’ informational curses? The risk of high expectations for new agricultural technologies

By Caroline Miehe, Leocardia Nabwire, Robert Sparrow, David Spielman, and Bjorn Van Campenhout

Using videos to test skewed perceptions of improved crop varieties.

This is a man’s world: Gendered perceptions of Ugandan agro-input dealers
Research Post
 | 
March 17, 2023

This is a man’s world: Gendered perceptions of Ugandan agro-input dealers

By Anusha De, Caroline Miehe, and Bjorn Van Campenhout

Persistent biases hold back women shop owners.

What changed when Ugandan farmers rated input quality and local vendor services
Research Post
 | 
April 08, 2022

What changed when Ugandan farmers rated input quality and local vendor services

By Bjorn Van Campenhout, Caroline Miehe, David Spielman, and Robert Sparrow

The power of consumer opinion.

View all Blogs