17 pages, We examined the effect of multidimensional farmers' beliefs on the likelihood of cultivating planting materials of biofortified orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) varieties. Using a panel dataset and combining difference-in-differences regression with propensity score matching, results showed positive effects of beliefs related to health benefits, yielding ability, sweetness, disease-resistance, storability, early maturity, colour, and that children enjoy eating OFSP roots, on cultivation of OFSP varieties. The proportion of OFSP roots out of total sweet potato production for a household increased among farmers' who held these beliefs. Efforts to promote biofortified crops can, therefore, benefit from taking farmers' multidimensional beliefs into consideration.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D02273
Notes:
Pages 261-270 in Keya Acharya and Frederick Noronha (eds.), The green pen: environmental journalism in India and South Asia. Sage Publications India, New Delhi. 303 pages.
