Working Paper Series,
Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business

Abstract: Climate risk represents an increasing threat to poor and vulnerable farmers in drought-prone areas of Africa. This study assesses the maize and fertilizer adoption responses of food insecure farmers in Malawi, where Drought Tolerant (DT) maize was recently introduced. A Field experiment, eliciting relative risk aversion, loss aversion and subjective probability weighting parameters of farmers, is combined with a detailed farm household survey. A state-contingent production model with cumulative prospect theory preferences is estimated. More risk averse households were more likely to have adopted DT maize, less likely to have adopted other improved maize varieties and less likely to have dis-adopted traditional local maize. Exposure to past drought shocks stimulated adoption of DT maize and dis-adoption of local maize. Over-weighting of small probabilities was associated with less use of fertilizer on all maize types.

Keywords: Climate risk; state-contingent production; subjective probability weighting; loss aversion; technology adoption; adaptation; maize; Drought Tolerant maize; fertilizer use.

JEL-codes: C93; D03; O33; Q12; Q18

51 pages, October 12, 2015

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