Biochar, Soil Carbon, Social Learning, and Technology Adoption

This research focuses on the problem of soil degradation and agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa, and the dissemination of technologies by which farmers can improve soil fertility, and thereby increase their yields and improve their livelihoods. In particular, we propose to study the dissemination of biochar (a soil amendment made from thermally altered biomass, including crop residues).

A growing body of work has shown that biochar can improve crop yields and sequester carbon for long periods, particularly in highly weathered soils, such as those typical of much of sub-Saharan Africa. However, numerous new agricultural technologies in sub-Saharan Africa have been introduced only to face lack of adoption by intended end-users. This is particularly true among the subset of agricultural technologies that offer both local and global environmental benefits, that external actors may have an incentive to support through, for example, carbon finance.

Therefore, our aims are threefold: First, we seek to estimate the impact of biochar adoption on farm-level crop yields and profitability. Second, we seek to test various inducement programs to see which is most effective in stimulating adoption of our new technology per dollar of external support. In particular, we will compare the efficacy of a program to stimulate social learning through pre-existing social networks, a simple price support, and the provision of a limited liability credit offer. Finally, we will exploit the randomization of inducements to test mechanisms by which social learning operates in the context of adoption of new technologies.