Blog

As researchers interested in expanding agricultural markets, we went to Mali to explore this question. Conversations with farmers and ag-dealers surfaced four themes that shaped both our research agenda and our thinking about how to scale what works: time, place, commitment, and trust.

Without significant efforts to improve preschool quality, expanding access alone risks doing little to improve child development and school readiness.

Smallholder farmers across Africa face multiple, interconnected constraints, including access to appropriate inputs and information, limited availability of affordable credit, long distances to input suppliers and buyers, and difficulty finding reliable markets for their crops.

Through our African Scholars Program, we hope to help create more opportunities for African researchers to advance the research agenda on the continent through randomized evaluations. In this spotlight, we speak with Dr. Jonas Fassinou of Ecole Nationale d’Economie Appliquée et de Management...

Electricity access has long been a major development priority, with Mission 300—the World Bank and African Development Bank’s commitment to connecting 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa to electricity—as the latest example. This priority reflects a broad pattern of economic development: no...

This post is part of our ongoing series showcasing the work and perspectives of economists from the African continent who are leading randomized evaluations. Through our African Scholars Program, we hope to help create more opportunities for African researchers to advance the research agenda on the...

As governments face multiple economic, political, and environmental constraints, it may be tempting to turn to new technologies or shiny silver bullets to deliver results. But here is what we know: lasting climate resilience won’t come from a new AI tool or financing on its own. Because without...

May 28 marks Menstrual Hygiene Day, an annual reminder to governments, NGOs, and communities to confront the barriers that still surround menstruation like limited access to products, inadequate sanitation facilities, and a lack of basic information.