Research Article

Joint estimation of information acquisition and adoption of new technologies under uncertainty†

  1. Awudu Abdulai1,*,
  2. Pierre Monnin2,
  3. Jacques Gerber3

Article first published online: 29 APR 2008

DOI: 10.1002/jid.1422

Issue

Journal of International Development

Journal of International Development

Volume 20, Issue 4, pages 437–451, May 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Abdulai, A., Monnin, P. and Gerber, J. (2008), Joint estimation of information acquisition and adoption of new technologies under uncertainty. J. Int. Dev., 20: 437–451. doi: 10.1002/jid.1422

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany

  2. 2

    Swiss National Bank, Zurich, Switzerland

  3. 3

    Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, Bern, Switzerland

*Department of Food Economics and Consumption Studies, University of Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 40, 24118 Kiel, Germany.

  1. †

    The authors thank Renan Goetz for helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier draft. The data used in the paper were collected with the help of M. Mwakatumbula Elangua, A. Mremi, M. Sakalani and E. Lamek. The research was partly supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 29 APR 2008
  2. Article first published online: 29 APR 2008

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Keywords:

  • livestock;
  • technology adoption;
  • uncertainty;
  • sample selection;
  • JEL: Q1;
  • 03

Abstract

This article develops a framework to examine households' joint decision to acquire information on new technologies and the adoption of the technology in the presence of uncertainty. The empirical application involved a sample of 406 dairy farmers in Tanzania. Education, scale of production, household size, age, and liquidity constraints are hypothesized to be the determinants of information acquisition and adoption decisions. The empirical evidence indicates that information acquisition and adoption decisions are made jointly. The findings also show that human capital and scale of operation positively and significantly affect the decision to acquire information and to adopt the technology, while liquidity constraints negatively impact on the decision to adopt, as well as the extent of adoption. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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