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Field
Abstract
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Before
We evaluate the effectiveness of a sustainable land management (SLM) training program implemented by a local NGO in Pèrèrè, north-eastern Benin. The region faces severe land degradation and declining soil fertility due to reduced rainfall, intensive farming practices, and increased use of chemical pesticides and mineral fertilizers. The intervention targets 800 maize farmers across 25 villages and will take place from February to May 2026, prior to the onset of the rainy season. The program includes intensive training sessions on specific SLM practices, as well as practical follow-up on a plot identified by each farmer as particularly degraded. The 25 participating villages are randomly selected from the 50 maize-producing villages in Pèrèrè. We study the impact of the training program on knowledge and adaptation of SLM practices, as well as soil fertility and maize yields of a pre-identified plot.
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After
We evaluate the effectiveness of a sustainable land management (SLM) training program implemented by a local NGO in Pèrèrè, north-eastern Benin. The region faces severe land degradation and declining soil fertility due to reduced rainfall, intensive farming practices, and increased use of chemical pesticides and mineral fertilizers. The intervention targets 800 maize farmers across 25 villages and will take place before and during the growing season 2026. The program includes training sessions on specific SLM practices delivered before the rainy season March-April 2026, as well as practical follow-ups in the following months on a plot identified by each farmer as particularly degraded. The 25 participating villages are randomly selected from the 50 maize-producing villages in Pèrèrè. We study the impact of the training program on knowledge and adaptation of SLM practices, as well as soil fertility and maize yields of a pre-identified plot.
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Trial End Date
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Before
December 31, 2026
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After
December 31, 2027
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Last Published
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Before
December 26, 2025 02:19 AM
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After
March 25, 2026 01:58 PM
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Intervention (Public)
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Before
From February to May 2026, before the onset of the rainy season, a local NGO will deliver a series of training modules to maize farmers in 25 villages in the district of Pèrèrè in Benin. The training aims at promoting soil rehabilitation and improved land management. Through the training modules, farmers will learn specific sustainable land management (SLM) techniques to restore soil fertility and will receive practical support to implement selected practices—such as constructing stone barriers, establishing tree hedges, planting fertilizing species, and producing and applying organic inputs—on a plot they identify as particularly degraded. The training will be conducted at the village level and will target 38 maize farmers per village, with approx 1/3 female and 2/3 male farmers.
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After
From end of March to April 2026, before the onset of the rainy season, a local NGO will deliver a series of training modules to maize farmers in 25 villages in the district of Pèrèrè in Benin. The training aims at promoting soil rehabilitation and improved land management. Through the training modules, farmers will learn specific sustainable land management (SLM) techniques to restore soil fertility and will receive practical support to implement selected practices—such as constructing stone barriers, establishing tree hedges, planting fertilizing species, and producing and applying organic inputs—on a plot they identify as particularly degraded. The training will be conducted at the village level and will target 38 maize farmers per village, with approx 1/3 female and 2/3 male farmers.
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Intervention Start Date
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Before
February 15, 2026
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After
March 26, 2026
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Intervention End Date
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Before
May 31, 2026
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After
November 30, 2026
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Primary Outcomes (Explanation)
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Before
(1) Knowledge of SLM techniques
Knowledge will be measured through an index constructed from responses to topic-specific questions on the practices covered in the training. As the training curriculum is not yet finalized, we assume that relevant practices include:
· production and application of organic inputs (fertilizer and pesticides),
· intercropping,
· planting tree hedges, and
· installing earthen or stone barriers.
The baseline questionnaire already includes knowledge questions on soil fertility and each of these practices (three questions per topic), which will allow construction of consistent knowledge indices across survey rounds.
(2) Implementation of SLM techniquesImplementation of each practice on the pre-identified degraded plot will be measured using:
a) Farmer self-reports, and
b) Objective verification, including enumerator field observations and satellite imagery.
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After
(1) Knowledge of SLM techniques
Knowledge will be measured through an index constructed from responses to topic-specific questions on soil fertility in general and the specific practices covered in the training. As the training curriculum is not yet finalized, we assume that relevant practices include:
· production and application of organic inputs (fertilizer and pesticides),
· intercropping,
· planting tree hedges, and
· installing earthen or stone barriers.
The baseline questionnaire already includes knowledge questions on soil fertility and each of these practices (three questions per topic), which will allow construction of consistent knowledge indices across survey rounds.
(2) Implementation of SLM techniques
Implementation of each practice on the pre-identified degraded plot will be measured using:
a) Farmer self-reports, and
b) Objective verification, including enumerator field observations and satellite imagery.
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Experimental Design (Public)
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Before
The study involves 50 maize-producing villages in the district of Pèrèrè, Benin. In January 2026, 25 villages will be randomly assigned to treatment during a public lottery. Farmers in treatment villages will be invited to participate in a sustainable land management (SLM) training program implemented by a local NGO during February–May 2026.
Within each village, the implementing NGO aims to train approximately 38 maize farmers, with roughly one-third women. In October 2025, farmers expressing interest in the program were registered, and the NGO applied predefined eligibility criteria to identify the target group. Due to demographic constraints and gender norms in some villages, it was not always possible to reach the targeted share of female farmers.
A baseline survey will take place in December 2025, before randomization, and an endline survey is planned for December 2026.
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After
The study involves 50 maize-producing villages in the district of Pèrèrè, Benin. In January 2026, 25 villages will be randomly assigned to treatment during a public lottery. Farmers in treatment villages will be invited to participate in a sustainable land management (SLM) training program implemented by a local NGO during March–April 2026.
Within each village, the implementing NGO aims to train approximately 38 maize farmers, with roughly one-third women. In October 2025, farmers expressing interest in the program were registered, and the NGO applied predefined eligibility criteria to identify the target group. Due to demographic constraints and gender norms in some villages, it was not always possible to reach the targeted share of female farmers.
A baseline survey will take place in December 2025, before randomization, and an endline survey is planned for January 2027.
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Power calculation: Minimum Detectable Effect Size for Main Outcomes
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Before
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After
Based on baseline data, the ICC of the outcome variables of interest varies between 0.08 and 0.13 for knowledge and between 0.13 and 0.23 for the use of specific SLM practices. The share of variance explained by baseline characteristics varies between 0.26 and 0.29 for knowledge and between 0.21 and 0.34 for the usage of specific SLM practices. With 50 clusters, and a cluster size of 32, this results in an MDE of between 0.217 and 0.275 of a standard deviation for knowledge and between 0.26 and 0.363 of a standard deviation for the use of specific SLM practices.
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