Abstract
In this paper, we allege that the hypothesis in favor of bounded rationality is a plausible explanation when it comes to better understanding the sluggish pace of adoption of best available tree crop farming techniques in poor small-scale rural communities. Our research builds on data collection and analysis of cocoa farming in Ivory Coast. Firstly, we find that the cognitive scarcity under which smallholder farmers make their decisions, in particular, satisficing behavior and fast and frugal heuristics, outweigh the scarcity of financial and human resources. Secondly, we show that the structure of the environment measured through various dimensions of social capital influences human rationality and decision-making. On the one hand, the greater smallholder farmers’ civic capital (solidarity, reciprocity, trustworthiness, cooperation), the more likely they are to modify their farming practices (p < 0.05) and, more specifically, to exchange information, learn, and eventually revise these practices. On the other hand, the greater the number of organizations the farmers participate in, the greater the probability of modifying their practices (p < 0.01). Information about farming techniques disseminates through weak bridging ties built within agricultural organizations (e.g., cooperatives, extension services) rather than through strong bonding ties between family or diaspora members.
Highlights
Published: 5 July 2021Why are cash crops yields, such as those of the cocoa tree, three to five times below what they could be?
Our study is the first to assess the relevance of models of bounded rationality to family farming by considering both cognitive scarcity and the structure of the environment, in particular, their complementary role in decision-making with regard to technology adoption
While clear and compelling evidence in favor of a status quo bias and satisficing behavior emerges from our survey, it appears that community members’ social capital is positively associated with the benefits they derive from interacting with their peers within farming organizations and/or from being exposed to agricultural extension
Summary
Why are cash crops yields, such as those of the cocoa tree, three to five times below what they could be? Our social capital and agronomic practice survey covers five villages across three sub-prefectures (Grand Zattry, Méagui, and Oupoyo) located in the South-West Nawa region of Ivory Coast It comprises more than twelve hundred (n = 1262) smallholder cocoa producers, who were interviewed face to face by trained and experienced surveyors.
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