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Impact of Farmer Field Schools on Agricultural Income and Skills: Evidence from an Aid-Funded Project in Rural Ethiopia

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  • Todo, Yasuyuki
  • Takahashi, Ryo

Abstract

This study estimates the effect of farmer field schools in rural Ethiopia on income from agriculture. The farmer field schools were established in association with participatory forest management associations for forest protection funded by Japanese aid. We employ a difference-in-differences propensity score matching approach to correct for possible biases due to selection of participants. We find that by participating in the farmer field schools, agricultural households increased their real income per worker by about 60-160 US dollars on average, which is equivalent to, or even more than, the average income per worker before the project. We also find evidence that the large increase in income is due to the use of new agricultural practices, such as new varieties, taught and promoted in the farmer field schools.

Suggested Citation

  • Todo, Yasuyuki & Takahashi, Ryo, 2011. "Impact of Farmer Field Schools on Agricultural Income and Skills: Evidence from an Aid-Funded Project in Rural Ethiopia," Working Papers 30, JICA Research Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:jic:wpaper:30
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    1. Nakano, Yuko & Tsusaka, Takuji W. & Aida, Takeshi & Pede, Valerien O., 2018. "Is farmer-to-farmer extension effective? The impact of training on technology adoption and rice farming productivity in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 336-351.
    2. Takahashi, Ryo & Todo, Yasuyuki, 2015. "Coffee certification and forest quality: A case in Ethiopia," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211939, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Takahashi, Ryo & Todo, Yasuyuki, 2013. "Impact of a Shade Coffee Certification Program on Forest Conservation:A Case Study from a Wild Coffee Forest in Ethiopia," Working Papers 55, JICA Research Institute.
    4. Takahashi, Ryo & Todo, Yasuyuki, 2017. "Coffee Certification and Forest Quality: Evidence from a Wild Coffee Forest in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 158-166.
    5. Jacopo Bonan & Laura Pagani, 2018. "Junior Farmer Field Schools, Agricultural Knowledge and Spillover Effects: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Northern Uganda," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(11), pages 2007-2022, November.
    6. Paul Aseete & Andrew Barkley & Enid Katungi & Michael Adrogu Ugen & Eliud Birachi, 2023. "Public–private partnership generates economic benefits to smallholder bean growers in Uganda," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 201-218, February.
    7. Adeyanju, D.F. & Ejima, J. & Balana, B. B. & Mburu, J.I. & Gituro, W. & Mignouna, D.B., 2023. "Does Participation in Agribusiness Empowerment Programmes Improve Youth Business Performance? Evidence From Kenya and Uganda," 2023 Seventh AAAE/60th AEASA Conference, September 18-21, 2023, Durban, South Africa 364803, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    8. Tola Gemechu Ango, 2018. "“Medium-Scale” Forestland Grabbing in the Southwestern Highlands of Ethiopia: Impacts on Local Livelihoods and Forest Conservation," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-20, February.
    9. Zekiye Şengül, 2025. "Analyzing risk perception, risk attitude, and management strategy using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in pistachio production: the case of Siirt Province, Türkiye," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-25, December.
    10. Muhammad Sohail Amjad Makhdum & Rakhshanda Kousar, 2021. "Gender in agriculture: Determinants of female labor supply decisions among rural households in the context of market imperfections in Pakistan," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(2), pages 235-248, March.
    11. Muluken Gezahegn Wordofa & Maria Sassi, 2017. "Impact of Farmers’ Training Centres on Household Income: Evidence from Propensity Score Matching in Eastern Ethiopia," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Takahashi, Ryo & Todo, Yasuyuki & Degefa, Terefe, 2015. "The effects of a participatory approach on the adoption of agricultural technology: Focusing on the social network structure in rural Ethiopia," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 117(01), pages 1-7, April.
    13. Henk Berg & Suzanne Phillips & Marcel Dicke & Marjon Fredrix, 2020. "Impacts of farmer field schools in the human, social, natural and financial domain: a qualitative review," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(6), pages 1443-1459, December.
    14. Chilemba, Joanna & Ragasa, Catherine, 2018. "The impact of a farmer business school program on incomes of smallholder farmers: Insights from central Malawi," MaSSP working papers 23, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Larsen, Anna Folke & Lilleør, Helene Bie, 2014. "Beyond the Field: The Impact of Farmer Field Schools on Food Security and Poverty Alleviation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 843-859.
    16. Joanna Chilemba & Catherine Ragasa, 2020. "The Impact on Farmer Incomes of a Nationwide Scaling Up of the Farmer Business School Program: Lessons and Insights from Central Malawi," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(4), pages 906-938, September.
    17. Hugh Waddington & Birte Snilstveit & Jorge Hombrados & Martina Vojtkova & Daniel Phillips & Philip Davies & Howard White, 2014. "Farmer Field Schools for Improving Farming Practices and Farmer Outcomes: A Systematic Review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(1), pages -335.

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