Linking Smallholders to the New Agricultural Economy: An Evaluation of the Plataformas Program in Ecuador

Romina Cavatassi, Mario González Flores, Paul Winters (), Jorge Andrade-Piedra, Graham Thiele and Patricio Espinosa
Additional contact information
Jorge Andrade-Piedra: International Potato Center, Quito, Ecuador
Graham Thiele: International Potato Center, Lima, Peru
Patricio Espinosa: International Potato Centre, Quito, Ecuador

No 09-06, Working Papers from Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO - ESA)

Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of participation in multi-stakeholder platforms (Plataformas) aimed at linking smallholder potato farmers to the market in the mountain region of Ecuador. It describes and evaluates the Plataformas’ program to determine whether it has been successful in linking farmers to higher-value markets and the effects that such connections have brought, particularly with regard to farmers’ welfare and to the environment. The analysis is run comparing a set of different and carefully constructed control groups to beneficiaries and using various specifications. Results are strongly consistent across the different specifications and are sound across the counterfactuals, suggesting impacts are adequately identified. Findings suggest that the program was successful in improving the welfare of beneficiaries, while potential negative environmental impacts, particularly with relation to agrobiodiversity and use of agrochemicals seem not to be a concern. Mechanisms through which impacts have been achieved are analyzed. Little spillover effects are found.

Keywords: New agricultural economy; Ecuador; smallholder potato farmers; impact evaluation; food-security; agrobiodiversity; natural resources. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D13 O13 Q13 Q51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40 pages
Date: 2009
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-dev
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fao:wpaper:0906

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