Effects of information and seedling provision on tree planting and survival in smallholder oil palm plantations

Katrin Rudolf, Miriam Romero, Rosyani Asnawi, Bambang Irawan and Meike Wollni

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2020, vol. 104, issue C

Abstract: Native tree planting in oil palm plantations represents one management option to increase biodiversity in oil palm dominated landscapes. Using a randomized controlled trial, we test which policy options can promote tree planting. Our policy interventions include pure information provision and a combination of information and free seedling provision. Results from a double-hurdle model suggest that both interventions are effective in stimulating tree planting in oil palm plantations. While both interventions motivate a small share of farmers to make substantial planting efforts, the combined intervention additionally induces low-intensity planting among a large share of farmers. The combination of seedling and information provision is thus more likely to spread diversified plantations over a larger area and hence might generate broader biodiversity effects. Our results provide evidence that free seedling provision does not crowd out own planting effort and is more effective under seed access constraints. While cost effectiveness does not differ significantly between the two interventions, we identify potential leverage points to increase tree survival rates among farmers who received seedlings in the intervention.

Keywords: Technology adoption; Randomized controlled trial; Double-hurdle model; Policy analysis; Tree survival; Video-based extension (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C9 D04 Q12 Q16 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:104:y:2020:i:c:s009506962030084x

DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102361

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