Verkaart, S and Mausch, K and Claessens, L and Giller, K E (2019) A recipe for success? Learning from the rapid adoption of improved chickpea varieties in Ethiopia. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability (TSI), 17 (1). pp. 34-48. ISSN 1473-5903
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Abstract
Many studies detail constraints deemed responsible for the limited adoption of new technologies among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. By contrast, here we study the conditions that led to the remarkably fast spread of improved chickpea varieties in Ethiopia. Within just seven years, the adoption rate rose from 30 to 80% of the farmers. A combination of factors explains the rapid uptake. Their attraction lay in superior returns and disease resistance. Chickpea was already an important crop for rural households in the studied districts, for both cash income and consumption. Good market access and an easy accessibility of extension services advanced the adoption process. Thus, an attractive technology suitable for rural households in a conducive environment enabled adoption. Our findings prompt us to stress the importance of tailoring agricultural innovations to the realities and demands of rural households, and the need to design and deploy interventions on the basis of ex-ante knowledge on factors potentially determining their success or failure.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Research Program : East & Southern Africa |
| CRP: | CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (GLDC) |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Successful adoption, improved chickpea, Ethiopia, panel data, fixed effects, chickpea varieties |
| Subjects: | Others > Crop Improvement Mandate crops > Chickpea Others > African Agriculture Others > Ethiopia |
| Depositing User: | Mr Ramesh K |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Dec 2018 05:46 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Jan 2020 03:04 |
| URI: | http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11035 |
| Official URL: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2018.1559007 |
| Projects: | UNSPECIFIED |
| Funders: | This work was supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [Grant Number OPP1114827]. |
| Acknowledgement: | We are grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ICRISAT and the Netherlands Junior Professional Officer (JPO) program for the financial support of this study and would like to thank the Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center (DZARC) of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) for implementing the household surveys. We also thank Bernard Munyua for data collation and cleaning. Erwin Bulte, Jeffrey Michler, Alastair Orr and Dave Harris provided useful comments on the paper. We are responsible for any remaining mistakes. |
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