Replaced with revised version of paper 07/24/11.

During the last decade, cotton production and area have been declining as a result of depleting soil nutrients and low cotton prices in the cotton zone of Mali. This paper shows that the Malian government’s 2011 policy to increase the farm gate cotton price as a response to world cotton price...

This paper is based on an ongoing joint work with David Sahn and Xiaobo Zhang.

With weather index insurance expanding and common property resources diminishing in low-income agricultural areas, it is essential to understand the potential effects of such insurance on resources that serve as vital input bases for low-income households. Using simple analytical constructs, we...

This paper presents a study of the global commodity exchange market and identifies trends and direction of development of this institution in the world. It was found that the commodity exchanges were subject to significant changes resulting from the development of the economy and the needs of...

The adoption of improved varieties and technologies by rural agricultural households remains a major goal in development efforts. This is because researchers and development practitioners recognize it as a potential source of income growth for the poor. However, while studies on adoption of...

Land fragmentation, also known as scattered land holdings, is a common phenomenon in agriculture around the world. In some cases, it has even persisted through government-supported land consolidation programs that aim to improve agricultural productivity. This study evaluates the effect of land...

While the role of risks in technology adoption is a classical topic, its effects beyond adoption have not been examined well enough despite that dis-adoption of a technology is also common. This paper examines the role of risk preferences and an exogenous shock on the survival of farmers for a...