This study examines the role of credit constraints in the adoption of an innovative new model of multi-layered vegetable farming in contemporary India.
Background
With the majority of the world’s poor living in rural areas and working in the agricultural sector, improving agricultural productivity is a central challenge in the context of poverty alleviation across the developing world. While there have been many new technological developments in recent decades, the adoption of successful new models has varied widely. In this study, the researchers examine the role of access to micro-credit in the adoption of an innovative new model of multi-layered vegetable farming.
Approach
The interventions include: (1) access to micro-credit (2) access to micro-credit at a reduced cost through an unconditional interest rebate, and (3) access to micro-credit at a reduced cost through an interest rebate conditional on adopting the requirements of the farming model.
Implications
These financial interventions are novel in this context, and their evaluation will be of considerable value to academics and practitioners alike.