A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia

In Africa, farmers have been reluctant to take up new varieties of staple crops developed to boost smallholder yields and rural incomes. Low fertilizer use is often mentioned as a proximate cause, but some believe the problem originates with incomp...

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Main Authors: Larson, Donald F., Gurara, Daniel Zerfu
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16895
id okr-10986-16895
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spelling okr-10986-168952017-12-14T04:11:46Z A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia Larson, Donald F. Gurara, Daniel Zerfu AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGRICULTURAL GROWTH AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS AGRICULTURAL MARKET AGRICULTURAL MARKETS AGRICULTURAL POLICY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES AGRICULTURE ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY ALTERNATIVE POLICIES ASSET PRICING BARLEY CEREAL PRICE CHEMICAL FERTILIZER CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS CLIMATE COMMERCIAL AGENTS COMMERCIALIZATION COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS COMPETITIVE MARKETS COMPETITIVE PRICES CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK CREDIT CROP CROP CHOICE CROPPING CROPS DECISION MAKING DELIVERY OF SERVICES DEMAND DEMAND CURVES DEMAND FUNCTION DEMOGRAPHICS DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DEVELOPMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ECONOMETRIC MODELING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMICS ECONOMIES EFFICIENCY EMPIRICAL STUDIES ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTS EQUITY EXPECTATIONS EXPENDITURE EXTERNALITIES FAILURES FARM FARM HOUSEHOLD FARM MANAGEMENT FARM SIZE FARMERS FARMING FARMING ACTIVITIES FARMING HOUSEHOLDS FARMING METHODS FARMING PRACTICES FARMS FERTILIZER FERTILIZER APPLICATION FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS FERTILIZER CONSUMPTION FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTION FERTILIZER EFFICIENCY FERTILIZER MARKET FERTILIZER PRICES FERTILIZER RESEARCH FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES FERTILIZER USE FINANCIAL MARKETS FOOD POLICY FOOD POLICY RESEARCH FOOD PRICES FOOD SECURITY GRAIN MARKET GROWTH THEORY HOUSEHOLD FOOD HUMAN CAPITAL INCOMPLETE MARKETS INCREASING RETURNS INFLUENCE INORGANIC FERTILIZERS INPUT PRICES INPUT USE INPUTS INVENTORIES INVESTMENTS LABOR MARKET LABOR MARKETS LAND LIQUIDITY MANURE MARGINAL VALUE MARKET ACCESS MARKET CONDITIONS MARKET DEVELOPMENT MARKET FAILURE MARKET REFORMS MARKET RESEARCH MARKET RISKS MARKET STRUCTURE MARKETING MARKETPLACE MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD METHOD MEASUREMENT MODELS MONOPOLY OPPORTUNITY COSTS OPTIMIZATION OPTIONS ORGANIC CHEMICAL OUTCOMES PESTICIDES PHOSPHATE PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS POLICY INSTRUMENTS POLITICAL ECONOMY PRICE PRICE RISK PRICE VOLATILITY PRICES PRICING PRODUCERS PRODUCT PRODUCTION FUNCTION PROFIT MAXIMIZATION PROFITS PROPERTY PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC GOODS RAINFALL VARIABILITY RESOURCE CONSERVATION RESOURCES RETAIL RISK AVERSE RISK AVERSION RISK MANAGEMENT SALES SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE SOIL SCIENTISTS SPREAD STOCK STOCKS STORAGE SUBSIDIES SUBSIDY SUBSTITUTE SUBSTITUTES SUNK COSTS SUPPLIER SUPPLY SUPPLY CHAIN SUPPLY CHAINS SUPPLY CURVE SURPLUS THEORY TRADE TRADE POLICY TRANSACTION COSTS TRANSACTIONS COSTS TROPICAL AGRICULTURE UREA VALUE VALUE OF OUTPUT VALUES VARIABLES WEALTH WHEAT WHOLESALERS panel selection model In Africa, farmers have been reluctant to take up new varieties of staple crops developed to boost smallholder yields and rural incomes. Low fertilizer use is often mentioned as a proximate cause, but some believe the problem originates with incomplete input markets. As a remedy, African governments have introduced technology adoption programs with fertilizer subsidies as a core component. Still, the links between market performance and choices about using fertilizer are poorly articulated in empirical studies and policy discussions, making it difficult to judge whether the programs are expected to generate lasting benefits or to simply offset high fertilizer prices. This paper develops a conceptual model to show how choices made by agents supplying input services combine with household livelihood settings to generate heterogeneous decisions about fertilizer use. An applied model is estimated with data from a panel survey in rural Ethiopia. The results suggest that adverse market conditions limit the adoption of fertilizer-based technologies, especially among resource-poor households. Farmers appear to respond to market signals in the aggregate and this provides a pathway for subsidies to stimulate demand. However, the research suggests that lowering transaction costs, through investments in infrastructure and market institutions, can generate deeper effects by expanding the technologies available to farmers across all pricing outcomes. 2014-02-04T20:45:15Z 2014-02-04T20:45:15Z 2013-10 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16895 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6681 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research Africa Ethiopia
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution World Bank
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection Online Access
language English
en_US
topic AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS
AGRICULTURAL MARKET
AGRICULTURAL MARKETS
AGRICULTURAL POLICY
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
AGRICULTURE
ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY
ALTERNATIVE POLICIES
ASSET PRICING
BARLEY
CEREAL PRICE
CHEMICAL FERTILIZER
CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS
CLIMATE
COMMERCIAL AGENTS
COMMERCIALIZATION
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
COMPETITIVE MARKETS
COMPETITIVE PRICES
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
CREDIT
CROP
CROP CHOICE
CROPPING
CROPS
DECISION MAKING
DELIVERY OF SERVICES
DEMAND
DEMAND CURVES
DEMAND FUNCTION
DEMOGRAPHICS
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
ECONOMETRIC MODELING
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMICS
ECONOMIES
EFFICIENCY
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTS
EQUITY
EXPECTATIONS
EXPENDITURE
EXTERNALITIES
FAILURES
FARM
FARM HOUSEHOLD
FARM MANAGEMENT
FARM SIZE
FARMERS
FARMING
FARMING ACTIVITIES
FARMING HOUSEHOLDS
FARMING METHODS
FARMING PRACTICES
FARMS
FERTILIZER
FERTILIZER APPLICATION
FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS
FERTILIZER CONSUMPTION
FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTION
FERTILIZER EFFICIENCY
FERTILIZER MARKET
FERTILIZER PRICES
FERTILIZER RESEARCH
FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES
FERTILIZER USE
FINANCIAL MARKETS
FOOD POLICY
FOOD POLICY RESEARCH
FOOD PRICES
FOOD SECURITY
GRAIN MARKET
GROWTH THEORY
HOUSEHOLD FOOD
HUMAN CAPITAL
INCOMPLETE MARKETS
INCREASING RETURNS
INFLUENCE
INORGANIC FERTILIZERS
INPUT PRICES
INPUT USE
INPUTS
INVENTORIES
INVESTMENTS
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LAND
LIQUIDITY
MANURE
MARGINAL VALUE
MARKET ACCESS
MARKET CONDITIONS
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
MARKET FAILURE
MARKET REFORMS
MARKET RESEARCH
MARKET RISKS
MARKET STRUCTURE
MARKETING
MARKETPLACE
MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD METHOD
MEASUREMENT
MODELS
MONOPOLY
OPPORTUNITY COSTS
OPTIMIZATION
OPTIONS
ORGANIC CHEMICAL
OUTCOMES
PESTICIDES
PHOSPHATE
PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS
POLICY INSTRUMENTS
POLITICAL ECONOMY
PRICE
PRICE RISK
PRICE VOLATILITY
PRICES
PRICING
PRODUCERS
PRODUCT
PRODUCTION FUNCTION
PROFIT MAXIMIZATION
PROFITS
PROPERTY
PROPERTY RIGHTS
PUBLIC GOODS
RAINFALL VARIABILITY
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
RESOURCES
RETAIL
RISK AVERSE
RISK AVERSION
RISK MANAGEMENT
SALES
SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
SOIL SCIENTISTS
SPREAD
STOCK
STOCKS
STORAGE
SUBSIDIES
SUBSIDY
SUBSTITUTE
SUBSTITUTES
SUNK COSTS
SUPPLIER
SUPPLY
SUPPLY CHAIN
SUPPLY CHAINS
SUPPLY CURVE
SURPLUS
THEORY
TRADE
TRADE POLICY
TRANSACTION COSTS
TRANSACTIONS COSTS
TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
UREA
VALUE
VALUE OF OUTPUT
VALUES
VARIABLES
WEALTH
WHEAT
WHOLESALERS
panel selection model
spellingShingle AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS
AGRICULTURAL MARKET
AGRICULTURAL MARKETS
AGRICULTURAL POLICY
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
AGRICULTURE
ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY
ALTERNATIVE POLICIES
ASSET PRICING
BARLEY
CEREAL PRICE
CHEMICAL FERTILIZER
CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS
CLIMATE
COMMERCIAL AGENTS
COMMERCIALIZATION
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
COMPETITIVE MARKETS
COMPETITIVE PRICES
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
CREDIT
CROP
CROP CHOICE
CROPPING
CROPS
DECISION MAKING
DELIVERY OF SERVICES
DEMAND
DEMAND CURVES
DEMAND FUNCTION
DEMOGRAPHICS
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
ECONOMETRIC MODELING
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMICS
ECONOMIES
EFFICIENCY
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTS
EQUITY
EXPECTATIONS
EXPENDITURE
EXTERNALITIES
FAILURES
FARM
FARM HOUSEHOLD
FARM MANAGEMENT
FARM SIZE
FARMERS
FARMING
FARMING ACTIVITIES
FARMING HOUSEHOLDS
FARMING METHODS
FARMING PRACTICES
FARMS
FERTILIZER
FERTILIZER APPLICATION
FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS
FERTILIZER CONSUMPTION
FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTION
FERTILIZER EFFICIENCY
FERTILIZER MARKET
FERTILIZER PRICES
FERTILIZER RESEARCH
FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES
FERTILIZER USE
FINANCIAL MARKETS
FOOD POLICY
FOOD POLICY RESEARCH
FOOD PRICES
FOOD SECURITY
GRAIN MARKET
GROWTH THEORY
HOUSEHOLD FOOD
HUMAN CAPITAL
INCOMPLETE MARKETS
INCREASING RETURNS
INFLUENCE
INORGANIC FERTILIZERS
INPUT PRICES
INPUT USE
INPUTS
INVENTORIES
INVESTMENTS
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LAND
LIQUIDITY
MANURE
MARGINAL VALUE
MARKET ACCESS
MARKET CONDITIONS
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
MARKET FAILURE
MARKET REFORMS
MARKET RESEARCH
MARKET RISKS
MARKET STRUCTURE
MARKETING
MARKETPLACE
MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD METHOD
MEASUREMENT
MODELS
MONOPOLY
OPPORTUNITY COSTS
OPTIMIZATION
OPTIONS
ORGANIC CHEMICAL
OUTCOMES
PESTICIDES
PHOSPHATE
PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS
POLICY INSTRUMENTS
POLITICAL ECONOMY
PRICE
PRICE RISK
PRICE VOLATILITY
PRICES
PRICING
PRODUCERS
PRODUCT
PRODUCTION FUNCTION
PROFIT MAXIMIZATION
PROFITS
PROPERTY
PROPERTY RIGHTS
PUBLIC GOODS
RAINFALL VARIABILITY
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
RESOURCES
RETAIL
RISK AVERSE
RISK AVERSION
RISK MANAGEMENT
SALES
SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
SOIL SCIENTISTS
SPREAD
STOCK
STOCKS
STORAGE
SUBSIDIES
SUBSIDY
SUBSTITUTE
SUBSTITUTES
SUNK COSTS
SUPPLIER
SUPPLY
SUPPLY CHAIN
SUPPLY CHAINS
SUPPLY CURVE
SURPLUS
THEORY
TRADE
TRADE POLICY
TRANSACTION COSTS
TRANSACTIONS COSTS
TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
UREA
VALUE
VALUE OF OUTPUT
VALUES
VARIABLES
WEALTH
WHEAT
WHOLESALERS
panel selection model
Larson, Donald F.
Gurara, Daniel Zerfu
A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia
geographic_facet Africa
Ethiopia
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6681
description In Africa, farmers have been reluctant to take up new varieties of staple crops developed to boost smallholder yields and rural incomes. Low fertilizer use is often mentioned as a proximate cause, but some believe the problem originates with incomplete input markets. As a remedy, African governments have introduced technology adoption programs with fertilizer subsidies as a core component. Still, the links between market performance and choices about using fertilizer are poorly articulated in empirical studies and policy discussions, making it difficult to judge whether the programs are expected to generate lasting benefits or to simply offset high fertilizer prices. This paper develops a conceptual model to show how choices made by agents supplying input services combine with household livelihood settings to generate heterogeneous decisions about fertilizer use. An applied model is estimated with data from a panel survey in rural Ethiopia. The results suggest that adverse market conditions limit the adoption of fertilizer-based technologies, especially among resource-poor households. Farmers appear to respond to market signals in the aggregate and this provides a pathway for subsidies to stimulate demand. However, the research suggests that lowering transaction costs, through investments in infrastructure and market institutions, can generate deeper effects by expanding the technologies available to farmers across all pricing outcomes.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Larson, Donald F.
Gurara, Daniel Zerfu
author_facet Larson, Donald F.
Gurara, Daniel Zerfu
author_sort Larson, Donald F.
title A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia
title_short A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia
title_full A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia
title_fullStr A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed A Conceptual Model of Incomplete Markets and the Consequences for Technology Adoption Policies in Ethiopia
title_sort conceptual model of incomplete markets and the consequences for technology adoption policies in ethiopia
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2014
url http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16895
_version_ 1610777308471230464