Many development programs are short-term interventions, either because of external funding constraints or an assumption of impact sustainability. Using a novel randomized phaseout research method, the research team provides experimental tests of phaseout effects of an extension program designed for women smallholder farmers in Uganda.

This study finds that program phaseout does not diminish demand for improved seeds, as farmers shift purchases from NGO-sponsored village supply networks to market sources, indicating persistent learning effects. There is no evidence of declines in improved cultivation practices taught by the program. These results have implications for both efficient program design and for models of technology adoption.

Read the full paper in The Review of Economics and Statistics