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David J. Spielman
David J. Spielman is a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and is currently based in Washington, DC. His research agenda covers a range of topics including agricultural science, technology and innovation policy; seed systems and input markets; and community-driven rural development. Prior to this, David was posted to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with IFPRI’s Knowledge, Innovation, and Capacity Division. Earlier in his career, he worked on agriculture and rural development issues for the World Bank (Washington, D.C.), the Aga Khan Development Network (Pakistan), and several other organizations. His work maintains a regional emphasis on East Africa and South Asia. David received a Ph.D. in Economics from American University in 2003, an M.Sc. in Development Studies from the London School of Economics in 1993, and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University in 1992.
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Promoting the use of a novel water-saving agricultural technology among Indian farmers
The Met Department has forecasted a below-normal monsoon in India this year. This column analyses the demand for a water-saving agricultural technology — laser land levelling — among farmers in Uttar Pradesh. It also discusses how such information can feed into the design of a novel approach to combining public subsidies with private service provision to encourage the technology’s uptake among small-scale, resource-poor farmers.
Adoption of Balanced Use of Chemical Fertilisers: Farmer's Response to Scientific Evidence and Social Learning
Government of India has launched a massive program of individualized soil tests and customized fertilizer recommendation, with the hope that scientific information will lead farmers to optimize the fertilizer mix. This porject conducted a randomized control trial in Bihar to provide evidence on the effectiveness of the program, as implemented currently. The findings suggests that lack of confidence is the main factor inhibiting farmers’ response.