Filling a Niche? The Maize Productivity Impacts of Adaptive Breeding by a Local Seed Company in Kenya

Samuel Bird (), Michael Carter, Travis Lybbert, Mary Mathenge, Timothy Njagi and Emilia Tjernström
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Timothy Njagi Njeru

No 27636, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper explores the idea that competitive seed systems may underserve farmers in small, agro-ecological niches, leaving those farmers less productive and poorer than they need be. We develop a theoretical model of the confluence of demand and supply factors that can result in such an equilibrium. We then empirically study the disruption of the maize seed market in Western Kenya that took place when public sector foundation breeding and social impact investment capital together allowed a local seed company to expand and target the area with adaptively-bred maize varieties. A three-year RCT reveals that these seed varieties increased farmer yields and revenues, both for better-resourced farmers (who used non-adapted hybrids and fertilizer prior to the intervention) as well less well-resourced farmers (who did not). This theoretical and empirical evidence suggests news ways for thinking about seeds systems in areas typified by high levels of agro-ecological heterogeneity.

JEL-codes: O13 O36 Q12 Q16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-08
Note: DEV
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published as Samuel S. Bird & Michael R. Carter & Travis J. Lybbert & Mary Mathenge & Timothy Njagi & Emilia Tjernström, 2022. "Filling a niche? The maize productivity impacts of adaptive breeding by a local seed company in Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, .

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.nber.org/papers/w27636.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Filling a niche? The maize productivity impacts of adaptive breeding by a local seed company in Kenya (2022)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27636

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
http://www.nber.org/papers/w27636

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().