Adoption of modern varieties, farmers' welfare and crop biodiversity: Evidence from Uganda

作者：Coromaldi Manuela; Pallante Giacomo^*; Savastano Sara

来源：Ecological Economics, 2015, 119: 346-358.

DOI：10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.09.004

• Crop biodiversity
• Rural welfare
• Modern varieties
• Agricultural intensification
• Uganda
• Treatment effects

This paper assesses the impact of modern varieties adoption on farmers' welfare and crop biodiversity conserved in-situ. Using nationally representative data collected in 2009/2010 in Uganda, an endogenous switching regression model estimates the net economic and environmental effects of switching from local landraces to modem species. Results show that, after controlling for market and agro-ecological factors, the local varieties perform better than modem ones in marginalized and climatic vulnerable areas. Crop biodiversity shows to play a fundamental role in farmers' risk minimizing strategies when the available modern varieties are not adaptable to the local context and not supported by the required level of agro-intensification. Rural development policies should consider the heterogeneity in the adoption returns and support diversity conservation as a national strategic asset for a suitable bioprospecting and a best-fitting agricultural system implementation.

• 出版日期2015-11