Food security and poverty reduction effects of agricultural technologies adoption − a multinomial endogenous switching regression application in rural Zimbabwe

Abstract

Using nationally representative household survey data and the multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) procedure, this study examines the productivity, food security, and poverty reduction effects of adopting improved seed and inorganic fertilizer in rural Zimbabwe. The results show that the joint adoption of improved seed and inorganic fertilizer is facilitated by household ownership of farm mechanization, years of education of the household heads, presence of a wage worker in the household, access to irrigation facilities, and government extension services. The MESR results show that the adoption of improved seed and inorganic fertilizer, as well as their joint usage, have productivity and welfare-enhancing effects on farming households in rural Zimbabwe. More importantly, we find that while the technologies appear to impact food consumption negatively, households using the technologies jointly in production are more food secure and eat more diverse foods. This implies government efforts to promote the joint adoption of the two technologies in rural Zimbabwe are encouraged.