IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/deveco/v183y2026ics0304387826001367.html

Social learning in agriculture: A scalable farmer-to-farmer extension approach for dairy farmers

Author

Listed:
  • Behaghel, Luc
  • Gignoux, Jérémie
  • Macours, Karen

Abstract

We evaluate a farmer training intervention for smallholder dairy farmers in Uganda, demonstrating that an at-scale version of the “contact farmer” extension model can significantly increase milk production and be cost-effective. In this model, one “farmer trainer” is selected per village and trained to disseminate knowledge to other farmers. Using experimental sub-treatment arms, and a combination of observed and self-reported data, we assess three key components designed to enhance the program’s impact: (i) non-monetary incentives for farmer trainers, (ii) support from professional extension agents, and (iii) a curriculum that combines key principles of animal nutrition and technology choice with a broad set of feeding practices. Results show positive impacts along the hypothesized causal chain, from knowledge acquisition by farmer trainers to knowledge of the farmers they train, and increases in their technology adoption, production, and profits.

Suggested Citation

  • Behaghel, Luc & Gignoux, Jérémie & Macours, Karen, 2026. "Social learning in agriculture: A scalable farmer-to-farmer extension approach for dairy farmers," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:183:y:2026:i:c:s0304387826001367
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2026.103853
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304387826001367
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2026.103853?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:183:y:2026:i:c:s0304387826001367. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/devec .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.