Smallholder households' Adoption of Micronutrient-Dense Biofortified Staple Crops in West Africa: An Ex-Ante Analysis of Zinc Rice and Vitamin A Crops

Micronutrient deficiencies remain a major public health challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among rural populations whose diets depend heavily on staple crops. Biofortification has emerged as a promising nutrition-sensitive agricultural strategy for addressing hidden hunger through the development of micronutrient-dense staple food crops. However, the success of biofortified crops depends largely on farmers’ willingness to adopt them. This study examined smallholder farmers’ willingness to adopt (WTA) biofortified crops in West Africa using data collected from 2,509 farming households across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. The study focused on four biofortified crops: zinc rice, vitamin A maize, vitamin A cassava, and vitamin A sweet potato. A contingent valuation approach with a double-bounded dichotomous choice design was employed within a randomized information-treatment framework. Farmers were randomly assigned to a control group or to one of two information treatments emphasizing household-level nutritional benefits or combined household and public nutritional benefits of biofortified crops. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, and a bivariate probit model. The results indicate favorable perceptions toward biofortified crops, particularly regarding yield potential, marketability, resilience, and ease of commercialization. More than 98% of respondents expressed willingness to adopt biofortified crops. The estimated average WTA suggests that farmers are willing to allocate approximately 66% of their cultivated land to biofortified crop production. The findings further reveal that information treatments significantly influence adoption intentions. Farmers exposed to information emphasizing both household and broader public nutritional benefits were significantly more likely to adopt biofortified crops compared with those receiving only basic information. Agricultural training, awareness of biofortified crops, and participation in commercial seed systems also positively influenced willingness to adopt. In contrast, larger proposed land allocations reduced the probability of adoption, indicating that farmers may prefer gradual adoption strategies under conditions of uncertainty. The study concludes that biofortified crops have substantial potential for scaling among smallholder farming systems in West Africa. However, sustained adoption will require strengthened seed systems, nutrition-sensitive extension services, awareness campaigns, and improved market development. The findings provide important policy insights for governments, development organizations, and agricultural research institutions seeking to promote nutrition-sensitive agricultural innovations and combat hidden hunger in the region.