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Abstract
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Before
This proposed project studies technology upgrading in an export supply chain of the dragon fruit industry of Vietnam. Despite demand for high-quality fruits from overseas markets, the supply of dragon fruits that meet export standards is surprisingly low. Observations on agricultural practices show persistent use of low technology along the supply chain. I hypothesize that a key reason for the lack of supply of export-quality dragon fruits is that farmers and intermediaries lack the information and technological resources that are necessary to produce and trade high-quality agricultural products. I plan to test this hypothesis through a randomized control trial that generates exogenous variation in access to information and training on an export-oriented agricultural technology for dragon fruit farmers and intermediaries in Vietnam.
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After
This proposed project studies technology upgrading in an export supply chain of the dragon fruit industry of Vietnam. Despite demand for high-quality fruits from overseas markets, the supply of dragon fruits that meet export standards is surprisingly low. Observations on agricultural practices show persistent use of low technology along the supply chain. One potential key explanation for the lack of supply of export-quality dragon fruits is that farmers and intermediaries lack the information and technological resources that are necessary to produce and trade high-quality agricultural products. I plan to test this hypothesis through a randomized control trial which generates exogenous variation in access to training on an export-oriented agricultural technology for dragon fruit farmers and intermediaries.
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Last Published
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August 21, 2018 12:30 AM
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After
February 01, 2019 03:16 AM
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Intervention (Public)
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The intervention will offer farmers and intermediaries the opportunity to receive information and training on applying new export-oriented technology for growing and processing dragon fruits. I use this variation to understand whether and how technology upgrading in the supply chain occurs as a response to the intervention.
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After
The intervention will offer farmers and intermediaries the opportunity to receive training on applying a new export-oriented technology for growing and processing dragon fruits. I use this exogenous variation to understand whether and how technology upgrading occurs in the supply chain.
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Intervention End Date
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January 31, 2019
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July 31, 2019
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Primary Outcomes (End Points)
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Primary outcome: Agricultural technology as measured by percentage of practices that meet GAP standards; Export volume; Profits
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After
Primary outcomes: Product quality measured as percentage of practices that meet GAP standards or laboratory test results on pesticide analysis and the sweetness of fruit; Export volume; Investment; Profits
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Primary Outcomes (Explanation)
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Before
I will measure each farmer’s or intermediary’s technology as the frequency of practices that meet or exceed the standards fully recognized by GLOBAL GAP. The advantages of using this method are twofold. One, it is practical from the farmer’s and intermediary’s points of view since GLOBAL GAP certification is the primary requirement for entering most export markets in the world (UNCTD, 2007). Two, GLOBAL GAP provides a list of standardized practices that can be verified by outsiders, such as our survey team. Under this metric, technology level upgrading refers to an increase in the number of practices that satisfy the standards and practices approved by GLOBAL GAP. Profits will be constructed using revenue and costs collected through surveys.
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After
The two primary measures of product quality employed in this study are field observations and laboratory test results regarding compliance to Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). For field-based measures, our survey team will visit farms and collection facilities, operated by intermediaries, to evaluate whether current practices meet or exceed the standards recognized by GLOBAL GAP. For laboratory testing on product quality, we plan to hire a company based in Ho Chi Minh city that specializes in food quality testing. Lab test procedures mainly include pesticide residue testing and sweetness measurement. Our research team will collect fruit samples from farms and send them to the laboratory.
The advantages of employing both observational and lab-based measures of product quality are threefold. First, it is practical from the farmer’s and intermediary’s points of view since GLOBAL GAP certification, which is the primary requirement for entering most export markets in the world (UNCTD, 2007), also requires on the field inspections and lab testing. Second, GLOBAL GAP provides a list of standardized practices that can be verified not only by our survey team but also by intermediaries whereas lab testing is costly and in most cases impossible for a single intermediary to implement. Thus, our field-based measure captures what intermediaries may exclusively rely on to infer about product quality. Third, lab test results can provide an accurate measure of product quality in terms of food safety and sweetness which can be used to complement observational measures of quality.
Finally, investment and profit outcomes will be constructed using responses to surveys.
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Experimental Design (Public)
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I will conduct a randomized control trial (RCT) on dragon fruit farmers and intermediaries to examine the effect of information and technology transfers on the adoption of export-oriented agricultural technologies and trading practices. Specifically, I will randomly provide a subset of farmers and intermediaries with the opportunity to participate in information and training sessions on the farming and trading of export-quality dragon fruits.
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After
I will conduct a randomized control trial (RCT) on dragon fruit farmers and intermediaries to examine the effect of information and technology transfers on the adoption of export-oriented agricultural technologies and trading practices. Specifically, I will randomly provide a subset of farmers and intermediaries with the opportunity to participate in information and training sessions on the farming and trading of export-quality dragon fruits.
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Intervention (Hidden)
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Before
The treatment provides information on export markets and trains farmers and intermediaries on technologies that accord to the standards of the GLOBAL Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), which is the world’s most widely used certification scheme designed to provide a common standard for safe and sustainable agricultural practices. The intervention will be mainly delivered through a three-day training session organized by agronomists and experienced dragon fruit traders.
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After
The overall intervention will occur across two stages. In the first stage, we provide information on export markets and train farmers and intermediaries on technologies that accord to the standards of the GLOBAL Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), which is the world’s most widely used certification scheme designed to provide a common standard for safe and sustainable agricultural practices. This intervention will be mainly delivered through a three-day training session organized by agronomists and staff at Binh Thuan Dragon Fruit Research and Development Center.
In the second stage, we will make random offers to farmers for an opportunity to send their fruit samples to a laboratory for food safety and quality testing, which includes pesticide residue analysis and sweetness measurement. Our research team will visit participating farms to collect fruit samples during the follow-up survey. Test results will be provided to farmers in official letters certified by the lab testing company and the Binh Thuan Dragon Fruit Research and Development Center.
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