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Field
Primary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
(1) Intention to treat (TT) analyses:
(i) Purchasing SPF-PL (1/0): We will define the purchase of SPF-PL as binary for each individual (1/0), in the stalking period after the distribution of the vouchers
(ii) Quantity of the SPF-PL purchased: We will use the total amount of purchased SPF-PL in the stalking period after the distribution of the vouchers.
(iii) Plan to purchase the disease-free PL in the next production cycle: We will define the binary outcome variable as 1 when the farmer plans to purchase the SPF-PL in the next production cycle.
(2) Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE) analyses:
(i) Mortality: We will define mortality as binary if an individual farmer experiences any mortality in the stalking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(ii) Percentage of mortality: We will define it as a percentage of overall mortality in the pond in the stalking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(iii) Monetary loss: We will measure the approximate losses in BDT in the stalking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(iv) Gross value of shrimp output produced: We will measure the gross value of the shrimp output in terms of BDT in the stalking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(v) Amount of harvested shrimp: We will define it in terms of the number and weight of shrimps harvested in the stalking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(vi) Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) score: We will use the FIES score generated using the widely used Food Insecurity Experience Scale.
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After
We consider the following as the primary outcomes:
(1) Intention to treat (TT) analyses:
(i) Purchasing SPF-PL (1/0): We define the purchase of SPF-PL as binary for each individual (1/0), in the stocking period after the distribution of the vouchers
(ii) Quantity of the SPF-PL purchased: We use the total amount of purchased SPF-PL in the stocking period after the distribution of the vouchers.
(iii) Plan to purchase the disease-free PL in the next production cycle: We define the binary outcome variable as 1 when the farmer plans to purchase the SPF-PL in the next production cycle.
(2) Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE) analyses:
(i) Mortality: We define mortality as binary if an individual farmer experiences any mortality in the stocking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(ii) Percentage of mortality: We define this as the percentage of overall mortality in the pond in the stocking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(iii) Monetary loss: We measure the approximate losses in BDT in the stocking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(iv) Gross value of shrimp output produced: We measure the gross value of the shrimp output in terms of BDT in the stocking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(v) Weight of harvested shrimp: We define it in terms of the kilogram quantity of shrimps harvested in the stocking period after the distribution of the voucher.
(vi) Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) score: We will use the FIES score generated using the widely used Household Food Insecurity and Access Score (HFIAS)
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Field
Randomization Unit
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Before
Cluster of farmers: in each cluster, we have three types of randomly selected shrimp farmers: (i) farmers who have formed a group based on government-prescribed guidelines under a program since they farm in several contiguous ponds, (ii) farmers who are not farming in contiguous ponds and do not fall under the government program, and (iii) farmers who farm in an adjacent village and do not fall under the government program.
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After
Randomization is clustered at the level of “cluster of farmers”.
Note that priorly, three specific group of interventions were introduced among the shrimp farmers in the Southern region of Bangladesh. These interventions can broadly fall under different cluster participation programs which are being implemented by: (1) the Department of Fisheries, Government of Bangladesh (under the World Bank-funded Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project [SCMFP]), henceforth DoF; (2) ACI Agrolink Ltd., henceforth ACI; and (3) the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF). These three represent diverse actors, including government, private sector processor cum input firm, and industry advocacy body.
In our current study, a cluster of farmers is a group of farmers defined in the following manner. In each cluster, we have three types of randomly selected shrimp farmers:
(i) farmers who have formed a group based on either DoF-prescribed guidelines or ACI/BSFF-prescribed guidelines where they farm in contiguous ponds. We can say that these farmers participate in one of the cluster participation programs introduced by the entities mentioned above.
(ii) farmers of the same village who do not participate in the cluster participation programs,
(iii) farmers who farm in an adjacent village and do not participate in the cluster participation programs.
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