Essays on the Economics of Sustainable Agricultural Technologies in Ethiopia

Abstract: Abstracts This thesis consists of five self-contained papers: Paper 1: Adoption of multiple sustainable agricultural practices in rural Ethiopia The adoption and diffusion of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) have become an important issue in the development-policy agenda for Sub-Saharan Africa, especially as a way to tackle land degradation, low agricultural productivity, and poverty. However, the adoption rates of SAPs remain below expected levels. This paper analyzes the factors that facilitate or impede the probability and level of adoption of interrelated SAPs, using recent data from multiple plot-level observations in rural Ethiopia. Multivariate and ordered probit models are applied to the modeling of adoption decisions by farm households facing multiple SAPs which can be adopted in various combinations. The results show that there is a significant correlation between SAPs, suggesting that adoptions of SAPs are interrelated. The analysis further shows that both the probability and the extent of adoption of SAPs are influenced by many factors: a household’s trust in government support, credit constraints, spouse education, rainfall and plot-level disturbances, household wealth, social capital and networks, labor availability, plot and market access...