Private Input Suppliers as Information Agents for Technology Adoption in Agriculture; Kyle Emerick (Tufts University)

Abstract

Information frictions limit the adoption of new agricultural technologies in developing countries. Most public-sector interventions to eliminate these frictions target information directly at selected farmers. We show that an information intervention targeted at private input suppliers increases farmer-level adoption by over 50 percent compared to this public-sector approach. These newly informed suppliers become more proactive in carrying the new variety, informing potential customers, and inducing increased adoption by those most likely to benefit from the technology. Seeking to increase profits via expanded sales offers the most likely motive for these results.

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