Research

Reaching out to socially distant trainees: experimental evidence from variations on the standard farmer trainer system,  European Review of Agricultural Economics

with Olivia Bertelli

The farmer trainer (FT) model has gained momentum as a cost-effective alternative to traditional agricultural extension systems. However, there may be friction in the transmission of information, whereby farmers closer to the FT may benefit more than socially distant farmers. This study explores whether variations on the standard FT model facilitate the diffusion of information outside the FT’s pre-existing social network. On top of a standard FT training, a sub-sample of voluntary FTs in rural Uganda was randomly assigned to receive (i) vouchers for accessing professional extension agents, (ii) a signpost advertising the trainer services or (iii) further training  aimed at tailoring the training to the specific needs of the trainees. The results show that the FTs assigned these treatment variations trained more farmers, a larger proportion of whom belonged to the FT’s own close circle. The FTs who received vouchers were the only ones to reach out to more socially distant farmers and were also those who organized the most training sessions. We show that these effects are independent of any FT prominence in the village. Nevertheless, further evidence suggests exercising caution regarding the presence of friction in the transmission of knowledge, since knowledge and technology adoption appear to increase only among farmers closely connected to the FT. 

Amidst Sahel's Unrest : Malian refugees and rural households in Niger (draft available)

In recent years, the Sahel has seen a major revolution in institutional control: Mali, Sudan & Guinea in 2020, Burkina Faso in 2022, Niger in 2023. In 2012 already, the Malian government has faced political instability: violent events accompanied a coup d'état and resulted in a civil war which pushed  Malian civilians to flee danger zones. As a result, Niger hosted about 50 000 thousand of Malian refugees on its ground in 2012 Niger is mainly rural and has a low rate of urbanisation (16% in 2012 when the sub-region's rate is 43%). About 76% of the working population works in agriculture . Most of the production is for self consumption. What is the impact of Malian refugees on rural households in Niger? The goal is to analyze the impact of refugees in a context of rural poverty . This study contributes to a growing yet relatively narrow field of literature: the impact of refugees on host communities.

Irrigation and Migration in Senegal

with Ashwini Dabadge, Maximiliane Sievert & Medoune Sall

Irrigation and migration are key strategies to manage risk in rainfed agriculture in developing countries, especially under climate change. While irrigation stabilizes production, migration provides alternative income. This paper studies their relationship in rural Senegal using a panel of households across villages over three years. Exploiting a development intervention that introduced solar irrigation systems, we apply a difference-in-differences approach. We find that irrigation improves agricultural outcomes, food availability, and commercialization. Migration is widespread and seasonal, peaking during the dry season. Our results provide suggestive evidence that improved access to irrigation reduces seasonal migration.