Information networks among women and men and the demand for an agricultural technology in India
In this discussion paper (PDF) by The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), agricultural information networks among men and women are analyzed by using gender-disaggregated social network data from Uttar Pradesh, India. Gender-specific network effects are tested on demand for laser land leveling —a resource-conserving technology—using data from a field experiment that combines a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) auction with a lottery. The authors find that factors determining male and female links are similar, although there is little overlap between male and female networks. Some evidence of female network effects on household technology demand was found, although male network effects are clearly stronger. Public and private efforts to promote technological change in smallholder agriculture often rely on social networks to transmit information across large numbers of farmers. The results indicate that extension services can leverage female networks in order to reach more households when promoting new technologies.