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Heterogeneous preferences and the effects of incentives in promoting conservation agriculture in Malawi:

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  • Ward, Patrick S.
  • Bell, Andrew R.
  • Parkhurst, Gregory M.
  • Droppelmann, Klaus
  • Mapemba, Lawrence

Abstract

Malawi faces significant challenges in meeting its future food security needs because there is little scope for increasing production by simply expanding the area under cultivation. One potential alternative for sustainably intensifying agricultural production is by means of conservation agriculture (CA), which improves soil quality through a suite of farming practices that reduce soil disturbance, increase soil cover via retained crop residues, and increase crop diversification. We use discrete choice experiments to study farmers’ preferences for these different CA practices and assess willingness to adopt CA. Our results indicate that, despite many benefits, some farmers are not willing to adopt CA without receiving subsidies, and current farm-level practices significantly influence willingness to adopt the full CA package. Providing subsidies, however, can create perverse incentives. Subsidies may increase the adoption of intercropping and residue mulching, but adoption of these practices may crowd out adoption of zero tillage, leading to partial compliance. Further, exposure to various risks such as flooding and insect infestations often constrains adoption. Rather than designing subsidies or voucher programs to increase CA adoption, it may be important to tailor insurance policies to address the new risks brought about by CA adoption.

Suggested Citation

  • Ward, Patrick S. & Bell, Andrew R. & Parkhurst, Gregory M. & Droppelmann, Klaus & Mapemba, Lawrence, 2015. "Heterogeneous preferences and the effects of incentives in promoting conservation agriculture in Malawi:," IFPRI discussion papers 1440, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:1440
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    Cited by:

    1. Khan, Md. Tajuddin & Kishore, Avinash & Joshi, Pramod Kumar, 2016. "Gender dimensions on farmers’ preferences for direct-seeded rice with drum seeder in India:," IFPRI discussion papers 1550, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Junfeng Zhang & Anlu Zhang & Min Song, 2020. "Ecological Benefit Spillover and Ecological Financial Transfer of Cultivated Land Protection in River Basins: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Henson, Andrew F. & Rogers, Abbie A. & Gibson, Fiona L. & Burton, Michael P., 2018. "Value of Grower Group Services to Western Australian Farmers: a Discrete Choice Experiment," Working Papers 270160, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    4. Bell, Andrew & Parkhurst, Gregory & Droppelmann, Klaus & Benton, Tim G., 2016. "Scaling up pro-environmental agricultural practice using agglomeration payments: Proof of concept from an agent-based model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 32-41.
    5. Tingting Liu & Randall J. F. Bruins & Matthew T. Heberling, 2018. "Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Best Management Practices: A Review and Synthesis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-26, February.
    6. Geussens, Katrien & Van Den Broeck, Goedele & Vanderhaegen, Koen & Verbist, Bruno & Maertens, Miet, 2018. "Farmers' perspectives on payments for watershed services in Uganda," Working Papers 276470, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    7. Ward, Patrick S. & Bell, Andrew R. & Droppelmann, Klaus & Benton, Tim, 2016. "Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture: Modeling a case study in Malawi:," IFPRI discussion papers 1530, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Andrew Bell & Nathanial Matthews & Wei Zhang, 2016. "Opportunities for improved promotion of ecosystem services in agriculture under the Water-Energy-Food Nexus," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 6(1), pages 183-191, March.
    9. Kristen Velyvis & Matt Sloan & Claudia Ringler & Ephraim Nkonya & Hua Xie & Helen Powell & Jeremy Brecher-Haimson & Anca Dumitrescu & Thomas Coen & Arif Mamun, "undated". "Evaluation Design for the Environmental and Natural Resource Management Project to Improve Hydropower Generation in Malawi," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 659f67a392b34b92833dce1c0, Mathematica Policy Research.

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    Keywords

    zero tillage; food security; food production; sustainability; technology adoption; subsidies;
    All these keywords.

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