Agricultura

Nos centramos en la mejora de los sistemas agrícolas en el mundo en desarrollo. Nuestros afiliados estudian maneras de ayudar a los agricultores a adoptar prácticas y tecnologías que son rentables o ambientalmente sostenible y programas con el potencial de vincular mejor a los agricultores a los mercados. El sector está copresidido por Craig McIntosh (UC San Diego) y Tavneet Suri (MIT). Hay 67 evaluaciones aleatorias en 23 países.

Tres cuartos de las personas en condición de pobreza en el mundo viven en zonas rurales y la gran mayoría de ellos depende directa o indirectamente de la agricultura. Ciertastecnologías, como semillas mejoradas y mejores prácticas agrícolas, tienen el potencial de mejorar la vida de éstas personas mediante incrementos en las cosechas, mejores precios, menores riesgos agrícolas y una nutrición mejorada. Sin embargo, pocas personas usan estas tecnologías a pesar de estar disponibles. Investigaciones rigurosas han demostrado diferentes formas de mejorar la adopción de estas tecnologías nuevas, como compromisos de ahorro, los cuales ayudan a los granjeros a financiar sus insumos. Otras investigaciones están buscando mejores formas para que los granjeros administren el riesgo, diferentes formas de resolver fallas en el mercado de créditos, mecanismos alternativos para dar a comunicar conocimientos agrícolas y formas de promover prácticas agrícolas que beneficien al medio ambiente.

Policy Insight

Improving agricultural information and extension services to increase small-scale farmer productivity

Agricultural extension services can be improved by leveraging tools like information and communication technologies, trainer incentives, or social learning to support small-scale farmers’ decisions to invest in new, profitable practices. Extension programs that target both male and female members of...

Local farmers work in rice fields in Lombok, Indonesia.

Blog

Tailoring information to increase technology adoption among farmers

J-PAL’s updated Policy Insight reviews strategies to improve information dissemination to help farmers make optimal production decisions and investments to improve their livelihoods.

Robert Darko Osei stands under a wood structure with a mule in the background.

Blog

Affiliate Spotlight: Robert Darko Osei on the intersection of agriculture, technology, and development

Robert Darko Osei is an associate professor at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research and Dean for the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Ghana. Robert also serves as co-chair of the Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative (DAISI), which funds...

Farmer standing in his growing soybean field examining the progress of plants.

Blog

Identifying and testing gender-sensitive and climate-resilient agricultural solutions: The Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative’s first round of projects

J-PAL and the Center for Effective Global Action’s (CEGA) Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative (DAISI) was launched in 2021 to rigorously evaluate programs that increase the availability, quality, and reach of bundled, digital agricultural solutions and services for small-scale...

Blog

Making every research step count: Introducing the ATAI Data Portal

Today, ATAI launched a new open data platform to bring together the best evidence from ATAI-funded research in a single portal, making it easily accessible to researchers and policymakers alike. The initiative aims to foster collaboration and evidence-informed decision-making in the agricultural...

Evaluation

Are Rainwater Harvesting Techniques Profitable for Small-Scale Farmers? The Adoption and Impact of RWH Techniques in Niger

In Niger, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of providing training and conditional or unconditional cash transfers on farmers’ adoption and use of an environmental technology, their resulting land use, agricultural production and profitability, and labor allocation.