ABSTRACT
A transition from low-input subsistence farming in Sub-Saharan Africa will require the use of yield-increasing agricultural technologies. However, in developing countries, most farmers continue to rely heavily on pest-infested and disease-infected recycled seed from own or local sources leading to low yields. This study used a field experiment to examine the effect of a social incentive combined with goal setting on the diffusion of agricultural knowledge and uptake of quality certified seed by farmers. We relaxed the seed access and information/knowledge constraints by introducing improved varieties of sweetpotato in the study villages and providing training to carefully selected progressive farmers who were then linked to co-villagers. We find that social incentives combined with goal setting reduced the likelihood of the trained progressive farmers reaching out to co-villagers to share information and discuss farming. Further, social incentive combined with goal setting had no significant effect on knowledge and experimentation by progressive farmers, and on willingness to pay for improved seed - as elicited through auctions, our proxy for experimentation, by co-villagers. These findings suggest that the combination of goal setting and public recognition acted to crowd-out diffusion effort. We conclude that social incentive combined with goal setting by established progressive farmers already enjoying a certain degree of public recognition is not sufficient to induce effort in learning and experimentation with agricultural innovations. These results have implications for design of policy and extension services to promote adoption of agricultural technologies with proven food and nutrition security benefits in developing countries.
ABSTRACT
Interest is growing for the development of inclusive seed production models. However, there is limited understanding of gender-based roles and constraints and how these might influence gender relations in seed production. Through a case study on sweetpotato seed production in Lake Zone Tanzania, this article examines men's and women's roles in seed production with the introduction of specialized seed practices and a commercial orientation. The study uses data from 17 field-based plot observations and eight sex disaggregated focus group discussions (FGDs) with 33 (51% women and 48% men) decentralized vine multipliers (DVMs). Participatory, gender-based analytical tools were used to obtain an in-depth understanding of gender dimensions and implications of new seed production practices, the resources required and access to those resources. Our findings show that men and women have complementary roles in specialized seed production, and that men increased their involvement in production and commercialization, especially when larger monetary inputs and transactions took place. Women gained new tangible (income) and intangible (knowledge) assets, which enhanced their community status. Women's contributions to household income became more visible. In conclusion male-takeover did not take place. There were changes in the perceptions around sweetpotato production and gender relations. As women's contributions to household income became more visible, they were able to negotiate with their husbands on access to key resources to maintain this household revenue stream. We discuss how the new knowledge and skills related to seed production enhanced women's status in the community. These dynamics initiated changes in gender relations and challenged prevailing community perceptions on gender roles. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12571-023-01355-7.