Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative

farmer in Hampi, India
Photo: Putul Gupta | J-PAL
The mission of the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI) is to rigorously test programs that increase farmer welfare through the broader use of productive technologies in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to generate a rigorous evidence base that helps carefully identify whether particular approaches are successful in growing farmer productivity, connecting farmers to markets, and in expanding commercialization—each being key steps in a process of agricultural transformation.

ATAI is a collaboration between J-PAL and the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), launched in 2009 with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK International Development from the UK government, and an anonymous donor. ATAI funds our network of researchers to generate rigorous evidence through randomized evaluations on the stages of agricultural transformation. Agricultural transformation is the process of farmers transitioning out of subsistence and into expanding commercial enterprise through expanded output markets, crop diversification, and the deepening of value chains.

To achieve our goal, ATAI: 

  1. Funds randomized trials to build an evidence base on improving technology adoption and market integration. 
  2. Synthesizes available evidence, developing a process to address and answer outstanding questions. 
  3. Strengthens the capacity of others to run rigorous randomized impact evaluations. 
  4. Ensures decision-makers are aware of the evidence to inform relevant agricultural development strategies.

Visit the ATAI website for more information on our research, network, and policy outreach.

Key Facts

Sectors:
Office:
J-PAL Global
Eligibility:
Open to J-PAL and CEGA affiliated professors and all active invited researchers to any J-PAL initiative or J-PAL regional office.

Funders

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