Ricerc@Sapienza

The adoption of new technologies is one of the most important components of the economic development for small farmers in Africa. Agricultural intensification by dissemination and adoption of improved agricultural technologies plays an important role in tackling poverty and food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The causal link between agricultural innovation and nutrition has become an important research question with relevant implications for policymaking. In particular, this research project aims to shed light on female nutrition with a specific focus on the mediating role of female empowerment, using new panel data on oil palm growers in Ghana provided by the APRA- Future Agricultures Consortium. Technology will be defined as the use of agrochemicals, irrigation or intercropping since after a preliminary and technical analysis about how to grow oil palm they turned out to be essential practices in the country. A structural equations model and an endogenous switching regression model to control for potential endogeneity of women's empowerment and technology adoption will be applied to investigate the mediating role of female empowerment in the nexus between technology adoption and women's dietary diversity.
Expected study results will be relevant to design proper interventions and policies promoting women's empowerment and technology adoption that, in turn, could enhance individual and household welfare.