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Can mobile phones improve farmer livelihoods? Panel data evidence from smallholder farm households in Sub-Saharan Africa

Bailey, Amanda LU (2021) EKHS22 20211
Department of Economic History
Abstract
Information asymmetries are abound in the agricultural process for many farmers in developing countries. At the same time, adoption of mobile phone technologies have been growing exponentially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzes the potential for mobile phones to improve agricultural and economic outcomes for smallholder farm households. Using panel-data collected over three periods from 2002 to 2013, this study examines the impacts of mobile phones on smallholder farmers in six African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. The results from the fixed effects and random effects models show that mobile phone ownership is positively associated with agricultural productivity, prices received for maize,... (More)
Information asymmetries are abound in the agricultural process for many farmers in developing countries. At the same time, adoption of mobile phone technologies have been growing exponentially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzes the potential for mobile phones to improve agricultural and economic outcomes for smallholder farm households. Using panel-data collected over three periods from 2002 to 2013, this study examines the impacts of mobile phones on smallholder farmers in six African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. The results from the fixed effects and random effects models show that mobile phone ownership is positively associated with agricultural productivity, prices received for maize, sustainable agricultural practice adoption, household wealth, and food security. The findings are in line with the larger theoretical literature and provide confirmation to some existing empirical findings and contrast to others. The results further contribute a broader perspective to the current single country literature. Overall, the findings suggest that mobile phone technologies should continue to be invested in and researched, but other mechanisms are still in need of attention and research to fully take advantage of the theoretical benefits of mobile phones. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Bailey, Amanda LU
supervisor
organization
course
EKHS22 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
language
English
id
9054728
date added to LUP
2021-06-24 13:15:00
date last changed
2021-06-24 13:15:00
@misc{9054728,
  abstract     = {{Information asymmetries are abound in the agricultural process for many farmers in developing countries. At the same time, adoption of mobile phone technologies have been growing exponentially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzes the potential for mobile phones to improve agricultural and economic outcomes for smallholder farm households. Using panel-data collected over three periods from 2002 to 2013, this study examines the impacts of mobile phones on smallholder farmers in six African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. The results from the fixed effects and random effects models show that mobile phone ownership is positively associated with agricultural productivity, prices received for maize, sustainable agricultural practice adoption, household wealth, and food security. The findings are in line with the larger theoretical literature and provide confirmation to some existing empirical findings and contrast to others. The results further contribute a broader perspective to the current single country literature. Overall, the findings suggest that mobile phone technologies should continue to be invested in and researched, but other mechanisms are still in need of attention and research to fully take advantage of the theoretical benefits of mobile phones.}},
  author       = {{Bailey, Amanda}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Can mobile phones improve farmer livelihoods? Panel data evidence from smallholder farm households in Sub-Saharan Africa}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}