Modelling the Crop Variety Demand of Semi‐Subsistence Households: Bananas in Uganda |
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| Authors: | Svetlana Edmeades Daniel J Phaneuf Melinda Smale Mitch Renkow |
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| Institution: | At the time this research was conducted the contact author (Svetlana Edmeades) was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 2033 K Street, NW, Washington DC, 2008, USA. Currently, the author is a Young Professional at the World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington DC 20433, USA. E‐mail: for correspondence. Daniel Phaneuf is Associate Professor and Mitch Renkow is Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Melinda Smale is a Research Fellow with IFPRI, Washington DC and is Senior Economist, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. The authors would like to thank the staff of the Banana Program at the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Uganda, for their support with field research and insights. |
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| Abstract: | We propose an approach to model the derived demand for crop varieties among semi‐subsistence farmers in a developing economy, and apply it to smallholder banana producers in Uganda. We model variety planting decisions as being composed of an extensive margin decision to grow a subset of locally available varieties (variety choice); and an intensive margin decision about the scale or extent of variety cultivation per farm (variety demand). We estimate variety demand equations using a more complete representation of the choice set upon which observed planting decisions are made. Computed elasticities of variety demand with respect to variety attributes indicate that the relative importance of consumption and production attributes varies by location and proximity to markets, from which we draw implications for the social and economic impact of crop improvement. The approach that we propose has broad appeal for analysing adoption decisions for modern or traditional varieties of both major and minor crops in developing countries. |
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| Keywords: | Demand analysis research methods technology adoption D13 O12 Q18 |
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