IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v168y2026ics0264837726001869.html

Effects of simplified information on voluntary adoption of sustainable land management technologies in the Ethiopian highlands: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

Author

Listed:
  • Abe, Takeshi
  • Tsunekawa, Atsushi
  • Haregeweyn, Nigussie
  • Tsubo, Mitsuru
  • Fenta, Ayele Almaw
  • Nigussie, Zerihun
  • Tadesse, Nigus
  • Wubet, Anteneh
  • Meshesha, Taye Minichil
  • Wubetie, Biruk Yazie
  • Kassa, Samuel Berihun

Abstract

Soil degradation, which reduces soil productivity, is a critical sustainability issue central to global challenges, and numerous sustainable land management (SLM) projects have been implemented to address this issue. However, challenges persist in enhancing farmers’ motivation and voluntary participation, essential for the continuous implementation while information scarcity, particularly in remote areas, hampers the adoption of SLM technologies. This study investigated the effect of simplified information that provides technological guidance for farmers’ adoption of SLM technologies using a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Ethiopia’s erosion-prone highlands. First, overall and individual adoption levels were evaluated by comparing pre- and post-intervention changes in adoption between treatment and control groups using a difference-in-differences framework. Then, the effects of interactions between farmers’ contextual factors and the intervention on adoption were examined for each technology using ordered probit models of adoption patterns. Information significantly enhanced adoption, dependent on technology type and contextual factors. Individual-oriented technologies (e.g., compost making) and market surveys were particularly effective across diverse contexts, probably because they are relatively easy to implement and allow individual autonomy. Some technologies, including cover cropping and forage planting, had greater effects in more remote areas, indicating their suitability for farmers with limited access to external information, markets, or resources. The paper underscores the potential of informational interventions tailored to specific contexts as an effective dissemination approach to encourage voluntary behavior that leads to long-term effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Abe, Takeshi & Tsunekawa, Atsushi & Haregeweyn, Nigussie & Tsubo, Mitsuru & Fenta, Ayele Almaw & Nigussie, Zerihun & Tadesse, Nigus & Wubet, Anteneh & Meshesha, Taye Minichil & Wubetie, Biruk Yazie & , 2026. "Effects of simplified information on voluntary adoption of sustainable land management technologies in the Ethiopian highlands: A cluster-randomized controlled trial," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:168:y:2026:i:c:s0264837726001869
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108102
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837726001869
    Download Restriction: Full text may be restricted for ScienceDirect subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108102?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.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mekdim D. Regassa & Gashaw T. Abate & Zaneta Kubik, 2021. "Incentivising and retaining public servants in remote areas: A discrete choice experiment with agricultural extension agents in Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(3), pages 878-900, September.
    2. Lijing Gao & J. Arbuckle, 2022. "Examining farmers’ adoption of nutrient management best management practices: a social cognitive framework," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 535-553, June.
    3. Fabian Thomas & Estelle Midler & Marianne Lefebvre & Stefanie Engel, 2019. "Greening the common agricultural policy: a behavioural perspective and lab-in-the-field experiment in Germany," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 46(3), pages 367-392.
    4. Aker, Jenny C. & Ksoll, Christopher, 2016. "Can mobile phones improve agricultural outcomes? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Niger," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 44-51.
    5. Vu, Ha Thu & Tran, Duc & Goto, Daisaku & Kawata, Keisuke, 2020. "Does experience sharing affect farmers’ pro-environmental behavior? A randomized controlled trial in Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    6. Niu, Chiyu & Ragasa, Catherine, 2018. "Selective attention and information loss in the lab-to-farm knowledge chain: The case of Malawian agricultural extension programs," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 147-163.
    7. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    8. Abate, Gashaw T. & Dereje, Mekdim & Hirvonen, Kalle & Minten, Bart, 2020. "Geography of public service delivery in rural Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    9. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    10. McLain, Rebecca & Lawry, Steven & Guariguata, Manuel R. & Reed, James, 2021. "Toward a tenure-responsive approach to forest landscape restoration: A proposed tenure diagnostic for assessing restoration opportunities," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    11. Annemie Maertens & Hope Michelson & Vesall Nourani, 2021. "How Do Farmers Learn from Extension Services? Evidence from Malawi," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(2), pages 569-595, March.
    12. Kassie, Menale & Jaleta, Moti & Shiferaw, Bekele & Mmbando, Frank & Mekuria, Mulugetta, 2013. "Adoption of interrelated sustainable agricultural practices in smallholder systems: Evidence from rural Tanzania," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 525-540.
    13. repec:plo:pone00:0237337 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Lin Zhou & Walter Timo de Vries & Alexandra Panman & Fei Gao & Chenyu Fang, 2023. "Evaluating Collective Action for Effective Land Policy Reform in Developing Country Contexts: The Construction and Validation of Dimensions and Indicators," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, July.
    15. Misganaw Teshager Abeje & Atsushi Tsunekawa & Enyew Adgo & Nigussie Haregeweyn & Zerihun Nigussie & Zemen Ayalew & Asres Elias & Dessalegn Molla & Daregot Berihun, 2019. "Exploring Drivers of Livelihood Diversification and Its Effect on Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-23, May.
    16. Adnan, Nadia & Nordin, Shahrina Md & Ali, Murad, 2018. "A solution for the sunset industry: Adoption of Green Fertiliser Technology amongst Malaysian paddy farmers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 575-584.
    17. Samuel Assefa & Aad Kessler & Luuk Fleskens, 2018. "Assessing Farmers’ Willingness to Participate in Campaign-Based Watershed Management: Experiences from Boset District, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, November.
    18. Tanguy Bernard & Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, 2014. "Editor's choice Aspirations: An Approach to Measurement with Validation Using Ethiopian Data," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 23(2), pages 189-224.
    19. Jenny C. Aker, 2010. "Information from Markets Near and Far: Mobile Phones and Agricultural Markets in Niger," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 46-59, July.
    20. Nigussie, Zerihun & Tsunekawa, Atsushi & Haregeweyn, Nigussie & Adgo, Enyew & Cochrane, Logan & Floquet, Anne & Abele, Steffen, 2018. "Applying Ostrom’s institutional analysis and development framework to soil and water conservation activities in north-western Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 1-10.
    21. Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Shangao Wang & Zhangxing Xu & Xu Tian, 2019. "Towards Auspicious Agricultural Informatization—Implication of Farmers’ Behavioral Intention Apropos of Mobile Phone Use in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-21, November.
    22. Viswanath Venkatesh & Fred D. Davis, 2000. "A Theoretical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Four Longitudinal Field Studies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(2), pages 186-204, February.
    23. Lawrence H. Moulton & Richard J. Hayes, 2022. "Cluster Randomized Trials," Springer Books, in: Steven Piantadosi & Curtis L. Meinert (ed.), Principles and Practice of Clinical Trials, chapter 77, pages 1487-1505, Springer.
    24. Uchendu Eugene Chigbu, 2023. "Connecting land tenure to land restoration," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(7), pages 762-770, October.
    25. Peters, Jörg & Langbein, Jörg & Roberts, Gareth, 2016. "Policy evaluation, randomized controlled trials, and external validity—A systematic review," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 51-54.
    26. Berhane, Guush & Ragasa, Catherine & Abate, Gashaw T. & Assefa, Thomas, 2018. "The state of agricultural extension services in Ethiopia and their contribution to agricultural productivity," ESSP working papers 118, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    27. Drew B. Cameron & Anjini Mishra & Annette N. Brown, 2016. "The growth of impact evaluation for international development: how much have we learned?," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 1-21, March.
    28. Wei Yang & Le Wang, 2023. "Impact of farmer group participation on the adoption of sustainable farming practices—spatial analysis of New Zealand dairy farmers," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(3), pages 701-717, September.
    29. Tanguy Bernard & Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, 2014. "Aspirations: An approach to measurement with validation using ethiopian data," Post-Print hal-03022496, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abate, Gashaw T. & Bernard, Tanguy & Makhija, Simrin & Spielman, David J., 2019. "Accelerating technical change through video-mediated agricultural extension: Evidence from Ethiopia," IFPRI discussion papers 1851, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Passarelli, Mariacarmela & Bongiorno, Giuseppe & Cucino, Valentina & Cariola, Alfio, 2023. "Adopting new technologies during the crisis: An empirical analysis of agricultural sector," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PA).
    3. Faridi, Amir Ali & Kavoosi-Kalashami, Mohammad & Bilali, Hamid El, 2020. "Attitude components affecting adoption of soil and water conservation measures by paddy farmers in Rasht County, Northern Iran," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    4. Hörner, Denise & Wollni, Meike, 2021. "Integrated soil fertility management and household welfare in Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    5. Martin Paul Tabe‐Ojong & Guyo Godana Dureti, 2025. "Social and Financial Barriers to Safe (Drinking) Water and Sanitation: The Role of Development Agents in Ethiopia," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(6), pages 1255-1266, August.
    6. Ölkers, Tim & Musshoff, Oliver, 2026. "Bundling Weather Indexed-Insurance, SMS Extension Service, and Weather Information: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Mali," 2026 Annual Meeting, July 26 - 28, 2026, Kansas City, Missouri 404328, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Yi Cai & Wene Qi & Famin Yi, 2023. "Smartphone use and willingness to adopt digital pest and disease management: Evidence from litchi growers in rural China," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(1), pages 131-147, January.
    8. Banchayehu Tessema Assefa & Jordan Chamberlin & Martin K. van Ittersum & Pytrik Reidsma, 2021. "Usage and Impacts of Technologies and Management Practices in Ethiopian Smallholder Maize Production," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, September.
    9. Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Shangao Wang & Zhangxing Xu & Xu Tian, 2019. "Towards Auspicious Agricultural Informatization—Implication of Farmers’ Behavioral Intention Apropos of Mobile Phone Use in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-21, November.
    10. Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Shangao Wang & Aseres Mamo Eshetie & Xu Tian, 2020. "Ameliorating Food and Nutrition Security in Farm Households: Does Informatization Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-20, January.
    11. Denise Hörner & Adrien Bouguen & Markus Frölich & Meike Wollni, 2022. "Knowledge and Adoption of Complex Agricultural Technologies: Evidence from an Extension Experiment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 36(1), pages 68-90.
    12. Zhang, Kai & Cheng, Xiaoting, 2025. "Determinants of consumers’ intentions to use smart home devices from the perspective of perceived value: A mixed SEM, NCA, and fsQCA study," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    13. Manda, Julius & Feleke, Shiferaw & Mutungi, Christopher & Tufa, Adane H. & Mateete, Bekunda & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Alene, Arega D., 2024. "Assessing the speed of improved postharvest technology adoption in Tanzania: The role of social learning and agricultural extension services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    14. Quevedo Cascante, Mónica & Acosta García, Nicolás & Fold, Niels, 2022. "The role of external forces in the adoption of aquaculture innovations: An ex-ante case study of fish farming in Colombia's southern Amazonian region," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    15. Debora Bettiga & Lucio Lamberti & Emanuele Lettieri, 2020. "Individuals’ adoption of smart technologies for preventive health care: a structural equation modeling approach," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 203-214, June.
    16. repec:ags:aaea22:335612 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Yu Wang & Shanyong Wang & Jing Wang & Jiuchang Wei & Chenglin Wang, 2020. "An empirical study of consumers’ intention to use ride-sharing services: using an extended technology acceptance model," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 397-415, February.
    18. Paul Juinn Bing Tan, 2013. "Applying the UTAUT to Understand Factors Affecting the Use of English E-Learning Websites in Taiwan," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(4), pages 21582440135, October.
    19. Peter Mantello & Manh-Tung Ho & Minh-Hoang Nguyen & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2023. "Machines that feel: behavioral determinants of attitude towards affect recognition technology—upgrading technology acceptance theory with the mindsponge model," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Mahajan, Advitya Indu & Taggar, Rashi & Gupta, Suruchi, 2025. "Augmented reality in E-Commerce: A dual value and barrier-based perspective on Gen Z's satisfaction and AR-Integrated shopping behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    21. Fox, Stephen & Groesser, Stefan N., 2016. "Reframing the relevance of research to practice," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 457-465.

    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:lauspo:v:168:y:2026:i:c:s0264837726001869. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    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.