Motivating Participation and Adoption in Sustainable Land Management Training: Experimental Evidence from Benin

This intervention is part of a larger scale RCT that studies the effectiveness of an SLM training, which will be implemented in 25 villages in 2026 (see trial title: "Effectiveness of Sustainable Land Management Training for Maize Farmers in Benin"). During the baseline data collection in December 2025, 50% of the 1600 respondents are randomly assigned to receive an individualized leaflet on soil fertility and measures to prevent soil degradation and improve yields. This leaflet contains plot specific information on soil color, soil texture, and soil pH assessed and measured during data collection as well as information on the upcoming training.The control group only receives information on the training. The leaflet aims to highlight the urgency to prevent further soil degradation and to promote farmers’ agency in doing so.

2025-12-03

2025-12-24

1. Training participation
2. Training participation intensity
3. Practice uptake (production and application of organic fertilizer, intercropping, planting tree hedges, installing earthen or stone bunds/barriers)

(1) Training participation: Training participation on day one of the training on SLM will be measured by using administrative training data. Attendance of respondents will be checked for each training day.
(2) Training participation intensity: This will be measured as the number of training days present divided by the total number of training days using administrative training data.
(3) Practice uptake: Implementation of each practice on the pre-identified degraded plot will be measured using:
i) Farmer self-reports, and
ii) Objective verification, including enumerator field observations and satellite imagery.

1. Willingness to participate in agricultural training
2. Change in awareness
3. Change in perceived agency

(1) Willingness to participate in agricultural training: Willingness to participate will be measured as the maximum number of consecutive agricultural training days a respondent would attend.
(2) Change in awareness: Change in awareness is measured by assessing farmers’ knowledge about soil and its role in crop yields. This is inferred from changes in (i) the extent to which soil is identified as a factor affecting yields, (ii) the accuracy of knowledge about soil fertility, and (iii) stated reasons for poor soil fertility. Together, these measures capture changes in awareness of soil conditions and their yield implications.
(3) Change in perceived agency: Farmers are asked about their level perceived agency when it comes to improving the fertility of their soil. An index will be constructed based on 2 questions covering perceived agency in the context of farm adjustments in general, and 3 questions covering perceived agency in the context of improving soil fertility specifically.

The study is an individually randomized controlled trial conducted in 50 villages in the Pèrèrè region of North-East Benin. In each village, half of 32 maize producers who meet the eligibility criteria of the SLM training are randomly selected into treatment and control. Randomization is stratified by village and genders. The treatment group receives a personalized information leaflet summarizing the fertility characteristics of their soils (color, texture, and pH) together with recommendations for sustainable land management (SLM) practices, highlighting the urgency to act and their agency in the process. Producers of the control group do not receive the leaflet, but are informed about the upcoming SLM training that they might be able to participate in if their village is selected. After an enumerator has finished the main questionnaire, the respondent and enumerator will go to a plot specified by the respondent in the interview. Here, the enumerator will start a second questionnaire, which includes assessing the plot’s soil pH, soil color and soil texture. After having marked those measurements on a leaflet, it is provided to the respondent. The intervention aims to increase producers’ sense of urgency and agency regarding soil degradation and SLM adoption. Producers are followed to assess effects on training uptake and subsequent implementation of SLM measures.

Not available

Randomization done in office by a computer

Individual

No

1600 farmers

1600

800 farmers in the treatment group, 800 farmers in the control group