Nudging the adoption of improved crop varieties: evidence from a large randomized controlled sweetpotato trial in Uganda

Julius Juma Okello; David Ryan Just; Arjan Verschoor; Sylvester Okoth Ojwang; Janet Mwende  Mutiso; Chalmers Kyalo Mulwa; Chenyan Gong; Sam Namanda; Srinivasulu Rajendran; Reuben Tendo Ssali; Moses  Okim; Hugo Campos

Nudging the adoption of improved crop varieties: evidence from a large randomized controlled sweetpotato trial in Uganda

Julius Juma Okello, David Ryan Just, Arjan Verschoor, Sylvester Okoth Ojwang, Janet Mwende Mutiso, Chalmers Kyalo Mulwa, Chenyan Gong, Sam Namanda, Srinivasulu Rajendran, Reuben Tendo Ssali, Moses Okim, Hugo Campos

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Abstract

To achieve agricultural transformation in developing countries in the face of challenges such as climate change, the use of improved crop varieties needs a jumpstart. Using a randomized controlled trial in Uganda, we test how nudge theory can be harnessed to deliver increased adoption of improved crop varieties. We find a 7% treatment effect, though the effect is not robust to alternative specifications. We find compelling evidence for heterogeneous treatment effects, with robust treatment effects among those who experienced a stronger emotional
connection to the nudges that we deployed. A key concept to help explain this is nostalgia::farmers prone to nostalgia responded more strongly to the traditional farming imagery used to nudge the adoption of improved varieties

Original language	English
Journal	Food Security
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 24 Jul 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

agricultural technology adoption
sweet potato
improved varieties
nudges
nostalgia

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Author accepted manuscriptLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Nudging the adoption of improved crop varieties: evidence from a large randomized controlled sweetpotato trial in Uganda",

abstract = "To achieve agricultural transformation in developing countries in the face of challenges such as climate change, the use of improved crop varieties needs a jumpstart. Using a randomized controlled trial in Uganda, we test how nudge theory can be harnessed to deliver increased adoption of improved crop varieties. We find a 7% treatment effect, though the effect is not robust to alternative specifications. We find compelling evidence for heterogeneous treatment effects, with robust treatment effects among those who experienced a stronger emotional connection to the nudges that we deployed. A key concept to help explain this is nostalgia::farmers prone to nostalgia responded more strongly to the traditional farming imagery used to nudge the adoption of improved varieties",

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T1 - Nudging the adoption of improved crop varieties: evidence from a large randomized controlled sweetpotato trial in Uganda

AU - Okello, Julius Juma

AU - Just, David Ryan

AU - Verschoor, Arjan

AU - Ojwang, Sylvester Okoth

AU - Mutiso, Janet Mwende

AU - Mulwa, Chalmers Kyalo

AU - Gong, Chenyan

AU - Namanda, Sam

AU - Rajendran, Srinivasulu

AU - Ssali, Reuben Tendo

AU - Okim, Moses

AU - Campos, Hugo

PY - 2025/7/24

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N2 - To achieve agricultural transformation in developing countries in the face of challenges such as climate change, the use of improved crop varieties needs a jumpstart. Using a randomized controlled trial in Uganda, we test how nudge theory can be harnessed to deliver increased adoption of improved crop varieties. We find a 7% treatment effect, though the effect is not robust to alternative specifications. We find compelling evidence for heterogeneous treatment effects, with robust treatment effects among those who experienced a stronger emotional connection to the nudges that we deployed. A key concept to help explain this is nostalgia::farmers prone to nostalgia responded more strongly to the traditional farming imagery used to nudge the adoption of improved varieties

AB - To achieve agricultural transformation in developing countries in the face of challenges such as climate change, the use of improved crop varieties needs a jumpstart. Using a randomized controlled trial in Uganda, we test how nudge theory can be harnessed to deliver increased adoption of improved crop varieties. We find a 7% treatment effect, though the effect is not robust to alternative specifications. We find compelling evidence for heterogeneous treatment effects, with robust treatment effects among those who experienced a stronger emotional connection to the nudges that we deployed. A key concept to help explain this is nostalgia::farmers prone to nostalgia responded more strongly to the traditional farming imagery used to nudge the adoption of improved varieties

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KW - improved varieties

KW - nudges

KW - nostalgia

M3 - Article

SN - 1876-4517

JO - Food Security

JF - Food Security

ER -