Rapidly increasing mobile phone coverage, cheaper technology, and an open platform that allows for the development of applications that extend the use of mobile devices provide new ways to reach farmers in isolated places. We investigate the impact of an intervention that uses information and...

"It has often been argued that new agricultural technologies lead to poverty reduction. This paper argues that any changes in poverty situation attributed to those who adopt new agricultural technology (treatment group) without a counterfactual comparison of carefully selected nonadopters...

"With high food prices threatening the food security of millions of vulnerable households around the world, hunger and malnutrition are back in the headlines. The world is making only slow progress in reducing food insecurity, according to the Global Hunger Index (GHI). Some regions—in...

"This paper reviews issues highlighted in the literature on the performance of commonly found social safety net programs in developing countries. It makes particular reference to food subsidies (universal and administratively targeted), public works schemes, and targeted human capital subsidies....