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AFCW3 Economic Update, Spring 2019: Digitizing Agriculture - Evidence from E-Voucher programs in Mali, Chad, Niger, and Guinea

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dc.contributor.authorWorld Bank Group
dc.date.accessioned2019-04-23T17:04:35Z
dc.date.available2019-04-23T17:04:35Z
dc.date.issued2019-04
dc.description.abstractThe agricultural sector is a significant contributor to the economies of Guinea, Mali and Niger. In terms of share of GDP, agriculture represents 16 percent, 38 percent, and 40 percent respectively. It is also a primary source of employment for most of the population (68 percent, 57 percent, and 75 percent respectively). Unfortunately, such critical sector is characterized by low yields due to low input use and quality. The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)estimated the average cereal yields to be 1.6 metric tons per hectare in 2014 in Mali, which is above the sub-Saharan average (1 metric ton/ha) but well below potential yields. With a majority of their land area lying in semi-arid and arid zones of the Sahel and the Sahara desert, increasingly frequent crises arising from the Sahel region’s high vulnerability to climate change--characterized by recurrent extreme weather events such as floods and droughts—low productivity has adverse effects on farmers’ incomes and undermines household food security. Hence the main articlein the present volume is devoted to the innovative effort of introducing e-vouchers schemes, supported by digital means, in Guinea, Mali and Niger. The e-voucher program is built around three key components: a digital platform for SMS messages, a reliable database of electronically-registered farmers in selected regions, and a directory of agro-dealers. In so doing, fertilizers (or seeds) distribution becomes transparent, ensures high quality and as it unfolds, fosters private sector participation. Based on pilot practices in the sub-region, four major lessons are learned. First, targeting is a key determinant of scope and success. In general, targeting depends on the main objective of the program: either poverty reduction, which would aim at farmers located at the lowest deciles of the income distribution, or agricultural productivity, which would also aim at those located a few deciles above. A clear decision in this regard should be taken upfront. Second, in rural populations with high levels of illiteracy, digital technologies should be adapted to their needs, with voice messaging working better than SMS messages. Third, effectiveness of these programs relies on the efficiency of public procurement. In many cases, delays in timely providing agricultural input result from bottlenecks at the procurement stage. As AFCW3 governments become strongly involved in upscaling these approaches, it is my hope that this report will provide further insights to help them in their successful implementation.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/915401555082222586/Digitizing-Agriculture-Evidence-from-E-Voucher-programs-in-Mali-Chad-Niger-and-Guinea
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/31576
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/31576
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo
dc.subjectFRAGILE STATES
dc.subjectECONOMIC GROWTH
dc.subjectAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
dc.subjectAGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES
dc.subjectINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
dc.subjectE-GOVERNMENT
dc.subjectMONITORING AND EVALUATION
dc.subjectDIGITAL ECONOMY
dc.subjectDIGITAL DIVIDE
dc.titleAFCW3 Economic Update, Spring 2019en
dc.title.subtitleDigitizing Agriculture - Evidence from E-Voucher programs in Mali, Chad, Niger, and Guineaen
dc.typeReporten
dc.typeRapportfr
dc.typeInformees
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleAFCW3 Economic Update, Spring 2019
okr.date.disclosure2019-04-12
okr.doctypeEconomic & Sector Work::Economic Updates and Modeling
okr.doctypeEconomic & Sector Work
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/915401555082222586/Digitizing-Agriculture-Evidence-from-E-Voucher-programs-in-Mali-Chad-Niger-and-Guinea
okr.guid915401555082222586
okr.guid323771559545209299
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/31576
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum090224b086b8fd0c_1_0
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum30980416
okr.identifier.report136045
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/915401555082222586/pdf/Digitizing-Agriculture-Evidence-from-E-Voucher-programs-in-Mali-Chad-Niger-and-Guinea.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeAfrica
okr.region.countryChad
okr.region.countryGuinea
okr.region.countryMali
okr.region.countryNiger
okr.region.geographicalWest Africa
okr.topicAgriculture::Agricultural Sector Economics
okr.topicAgriculture::Crops & Crop Management Systems
okr.topicAgriculture::Fertilizers
okr.topicMacroeconomics and Economic Growth::Economic Growth
okr.topicMacroeconomics and Economic Growth::Taxation & Subsidies
okr.topicPoverty Reduction::Inequality
okr.topicAgriculture::Agricultural Knowledge & Information Systems
okr.topicInformation and Communication Technologies::Information Technology
okr.unitWB Office: Mali ML/GN/NE/TD (AFCW3)
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