Accelerating the growth and assessing the impacts of gender-sensitive and technology enhanced organic vegetable production in the province of Laguna

Last registered on November 01, 2023

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Accelerating the growth and assessing the impacts of gender-sensitive and technology enhanced organic vegetable production in the province of Laguna
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012354
Initial registration date
October 27, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
November 01, 2023, 4:06 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
World Bank, Washington State University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
Washington State University
PI Affiliation
Washington State University
PI Affiliation
University of the Philippines, Los Banos
PI Affiliation
University of the Philippines, Los Banos

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2022-03-01
End date
2025-01-01
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
We evaluate the effects of an organic vegetable technology promotion program on farm household wellbeing in the Philippines. Our study site is in the province of Laguna where there are a significant number of vegetable farmers working in small to medium-sized land areas. Recent organic vegetable technologies developed by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development will be marketed to vegetable growers. To determine the potential effect of adoption of these organic vegetable technologies, we conduct a randomized controlled trial on a set of potential farmers that may use the technology to switch from inorganic to organic farming. In addition, we explore whether women's status in the household influences adoption or treatment effects of the technology.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bello, Amelia et al. 2023. "Accelerating the growth and assessing the impacts of gender-sensitive and technology enhanced organic vegetable production in the province of Laguna." AEA RCT Registry. November 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12354-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Farmer households in the treatment group were invited to a 2-day training session that includes lectures, practical exercises and focus group workshops. Day 1 was conducted in the study villages, while Day 2 was conducted at the Luntiang Republika Ecofarms, Inc. in Alfonso, Cavite. The training activities were conducted from August to September 2022.

Day 1. Overview and appreciation for Organic Agriculture
Training overview, Expectations-setting; Gendered livelihoods mapping and 24-hr activity profiles; Introduction to organic vegetable production and marketing; Lecture-discussion of organic agriculture components and their respective products; Household planning for organic agriculture; Planning for day 2.

Day 2: Practicum and cross-visit
Revisiting the concepts of OA through an appreciation tour of Luntiang Republika as an organic way of life; Lecture-workshops: preparation of different organic vegetables technologies such FPJ, FFJ, FAA, CalPhos, vermiculture bed, and potting mix; Demonstration on use of BIOTECH microbial inoculants; Observation of wood vinegar processing; Evaluation and reflection: Assessing possibility of using OA technologies by gender; Revisiting household plans. Distribution of sample organic technologies.

The list below summarizes the organic technologies introduced:

Organic Agriculture technology components

I] ORGANIC SEED

Vegetable seeds obtained from organically grown plants or seed produced without chemical inputs

II] SOIL HEALTH AND FERTILITY MANAGEMENT

BIOFERTILIZERS/ CONCOCTIONS
Fermented Plant Juice (FP)
Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ)
Fish amino acid (FAA)
Calcium phosphate
Vermicast/vermicompost
MICROBIAL INOCULANTS
Bio-N, Nitro-plus, BioGroe, Myko-VAM, VAMRI
COMPOST ACTIVATOR
Bio-Quick, Bio-Fix

III] PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT BIOPESTICIDE

Wood vinegar
Intervention Start Date
2022-08-01
Intervention End Date
2022-09-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Technology Index – Short-term: the share of organic vegetable technology options were adopted by farmers, out of 14 options offered during the training, in the first growing season after the training.
Technology Index – Long-term: the share of organic vegetable technology options were adopted by farmers in the most recent growing season.
Measures of Farmer Household Welfare:
a. Market value of yield: sum of market value of yields for all vegetables produced
b. Income: What was your household’s total income from all sources in the past year?
Health measures of children:
a. Weight-for-age Z-score
b. Height-for-age Z-score
c. Minimum dietary diversity score
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Labor use
a. Total hours worked by male household members
b. Total hours worked by female household members
c. Total hours worked by hired workers
d. Total wages paid to hired workers
Time use: for the male and female respondent respectively:
a. Sleep hours
b. Employed work hours
c. Cooking and domestic work
d. Care work (children, adults, elderly)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Households recruited into the study completed a baseline survey and participated in a public goods game. They were then randomized to either a treatment or control group. The treatment group participated in seminars on how to use organic vegetable technologies and their possible benefits, and had the opportunity to purchase these technologies at a discounted rate. Approximately one year after the training, we collected data on household outcomes.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomized in office in Stata. Randomization was stratified on farmer cooperative (member or non-Member), rural/urban, and barangay (village).
Randomization Unit
Household
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
600
Sample size: planned number of observations
600
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
300
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Washington State University
IRB Approval Date
2021-09-24
IRB Approval Number
18588 - 003
Analysis Plan

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