How does adoption of labor saving agricultural technologies affect intrahousehold resource allocations? The case of push-pull technology in Western Kenya

Diiro, G M and Fisher, M and Kassie, M and Muriithi, B W and Muricho, G (2021) How does adoption of labor saving agricultural technologies affect intrahousehold resource allocations? The case of push-pull technology in Western Kenya. Food Policy (TSI), 102. pp. 1-18. ISSN 0306-9192

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Abstract

Considerable research documents why women farmers have lower technology adoption rates than men farmers, but relatively little is known about what happens within a household after technology uptake. This study contributes through an investigation of the intrahousehold distribution of benefits and costs of agricultural technology adoption in western Kenya. Using gender-disaggregated data and an endogenous switching regression approach, we elucidate the causal effects of push pull technology (PPT) adoption on intrahousehold labor and expenditure allocation. Results show that adoption increases household labor allocation for harvesting of maize, the staple crop, but reduces the labor required for other tasks (e.g., ploughing and weeding). In net, the technology is labor saving, with men experiencing a slightly greater workload reduction than women. In terms of expenditure impacts, PPT uptake increases household expenditures on children’s education and consumption goods commonly associated with female preferences. Study findings support wider uptake of PPT to trigger gains in social and economic wellbeing for both men and women farmers. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : East & Southern Africa
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Agriculture, Child schooling, Labor allocation, Technology adoption, Intrahousehold allocation, Kenya
Subjects:	Others > Agriculture Others > Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics Others > Kenya
Depositing User:	Mr Arun S
Date Deposited:	29 Jun 2021 16:32
Last Modified:	29 Jun 2021 16:32
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11845
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2021.102114
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD, Grant No. RAF-3058 KEN-18/0005), the Government of Canada through the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the European Union through the Integrated Biological Control Applied Research Programme (IBCARP). International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) also receives core funding from the UK Aid from the UK Government, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany, and the Kenyan Government. We also thank the enumerators and supervisors for their data collection effort, and farmers for their time. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the donors or icipe.
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