Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 98 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

Displaying 49-56 of 119
Farmer transplanting rice seedlings into flooded field

Social Networks and the Decision to Insure in China

Jing Cai
Alain de Janvry
Elisabeth Sadoulet
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation of the ways in which information dissemination within social networks affected farmers’ adoption of a weather insurance product in rural China. Results suggest that social networks had a significantly positive effect on insurance take-up, driven by the...
Ethiopian farmer picking lettuce

Linking Weather Index Insurance and Credit to Improve Agricultural Productivity in Rural Ethiopia

Shukri Ahmed
Craig McIntosh
Alexandros Sarris
Researchers combined subsidized weather index insurance with input loans for fertilizer and modern seed use for smallholder farmers in rural Ethiopia to investigate the impact of these products on demand for insurance and resulting shifts in agricultural technology use and crop yields. Results...
Farmers consider their options in Gujarat, India

Marketing Rainfall Insurance in India

Shawn Cole
Sarthak Gaurav
Jeremy Tobacman
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of providing financial literacy education alongside various marketing strategies to small-scale farmers in Gujarat, India, on their demand for rainfall index insurance. Financial education had a significant effect on adoption of...
Slum housing in Mexico

Investing Cash Transfers to Raise Long-Term Living Standards in Mexico

Paul Gertler
Sebastian Martinez
Marta Rubio-Codina
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation of the impact of the Oportunidades CCT program in Mexico on recipients’ investments decisions and long-run poverty levels. They found that the cash transfers promoted long-term increases in consumption through investment in productive activities...
farmer harvesting cocoa

Measuring Competition Through Subsidies in Sierra Leone's Cocoa Market

Lorenzo Casaburi
Tristan Reed
In order to measure the level of competition among traders in Sierra Leone’s cocoa market, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of delivering subsidies to cocoa traders on prices that traders paid to cocoa farmers. While the bonus payments did not affect the prices paid...
J-PAL logo

Land Leases to Semi-Nomadic Herders in Peri-Urban Areas of Mongolia

Erica Field
Leigh Linden
Daniel Rubenson
Shing-Yi Wang
Herders may change their herding practices to better sustain the land if they own rights to it, which could also translate into bigger and healthier animals, and more income for the herders. In this study, carried out near two cities in Mongolia, researchers evaluated the impact of private property...
Photo of people sitting in field

Mobile Phone-Based Extension Services and Agricultural Advice for Cotton Farmers in India

Shawn Cole
A. Nilesh Fernando
Researchers introduced a mobile phone-based agricultural extension service to evaluate its impact on knowledge and adoption of effective farming methods among cotton farmers in Gujarat, India. They found that the service was highly effective in nudging farmers to adopt a number of recommended...
A rickshaw driver in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Temporary Labor Migration as Mitigation: Strategies for Managing Seasonal Famine in Bangladesh

Gharad Bryan
Shyamal Chowdhury
Mushfiq Mobarak
Can monetary incentives induce rural farmers to migrate to cities and pursue seasonal labor opportunities during times of famine?