Publication:
Seeds of Change: The Impact of Ethiopia’s Direct Seed Marketing Approach on Smallholders’ Seed Purchases and Productivity

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dc.contributor.authorMekonnen, Dawit
dc.contributor.authorAbate, Gashaw T.
dc.contributor.authorYimam, Seid
dc.contributor.authorBenfica, Rui
dc.contributor.authorSpielman, David J.
dc.contributor.authorPlace, Frank
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-04T16:47:22Z
dc.date.available2025-03-04T16:47:22Z
dc.date.issued2025-03-04
dc.description.abstractSeveral factors contribute to the limited use of improved seed varieties in Ethiopia. Among those, on the supply side, is the restricted availability of seeds in the volume, quality, and timeliness required by farmers, partly due to inadequate public and private investment in the sector. Beginning in 2011, the Government of Ethiopia introduced a novel experiment—the direct seed marketing approach—to reduce some of the centralized, state-run attributes of the country’s seed market and rationalize the use of public resources. Direct seed marketing was designed to incentivize private and public seed producers to sell directly to farmers rather than through the state apparatus. This study is the first quantitative evaluation of the impact of direct seed marketing on indicators of a healthy seed system: access to quality seeds and farm-level productivity. Using a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences approach suitable to handling variation in treatment timing, the study finds that direct seed marketing led to an increase of 15 percentage points in the proportion of farmers purchasing maize seed, an increase of 45 percent in the quantity of maize seed purchased per hectare, and an increase of 18 percent in maize yield. However, there are differences across crops, with the effects of direct seed marketing on wheat seed purchases and yields being statistically insignificant. These crop-specific differences in performance are likely explained by differences in the reproductive biology of maize (particularly maize hybrids) and wheat, which tend to incentivize commercial activity in hybrid maize seed markets more than in self-pollinating wheat or open-pollinated maize markets. These differences suggest a need for nuanced policy responses, institutional arrangements, and market development strategies to accelerate the adoption of improved varieties.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099836203032512498
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-11078
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-11078
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/42903
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWashington, DC: World Bank
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Paper; 11078
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectCROP YIELD
dc.subjectDIRECT SEED MARKETING
dc.subjectETHIOPIA
dc.subjectSEED SYSTEM
dc.titleSeeds of Changeen
dc.title.subtitleThe Impact of Ethiopia’s Direct Seed Marketing Approach on Smallholders’ Seed Purchases and Productivityen
dc.typeWorking Paper
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.date.disclosure2025-03-04
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-14T11:53:57.499804Z
okr.date.lastmodified2025-03-04T15:06:30Zen
okr.doctypePolicy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099836203032512498
okr.guid099836203032512498
okr.identifier.docmidIDU-ebe2159a-ba7e-494d-9622-cfba8e886d90
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-11078
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum34461974
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum34461974
okr.identifier.reportWPS11078
okr.import.id6778
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttps://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099836203032512498/pdf/IDU-ebe2159a-ba7e-494d-9622-cfba8e886d90.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeAfrica Eastern and Southern (AFE)
okr.region.countryEthiopia
okr.sectorFY17 - Other Industry, Trade and Services
okr.sectorFY17 - Industry, Trade and Services
okr.themeFY17 - Enterprise Development,FY17 - Rural Markets,FY17 - Rural Development
okr.themeFY17 - Urban and Rural Development,FY17 - Private Sector Development
okr.topicAgriculture::Agribusiness
okr.topicAgriculture::Food Markets
okr.unitProspects Group (DECPG)
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
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