This is a research project funded by the 3ie Agricultural Innovation Thematic Window to evaluate the impact of a governament development program in Eastern and Northern Uganda. Specifically, we designed and conducted an independent impact assessment of the oilseed component of the Vegetable Oil Development Project, Phase 2 (VODP2), implemented by the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries with financial support from IFAD.

VODP2 provided extension services to support smallholder farmers in adopting oilseed crops and establishing commercial linkages with processors. Our study employs an experimental design that randomizes the rollout of training and knowledge provision to farmers across 86 rural sub-counties in Uganda.

We designed the randomized control trial to provide rigorous evidence on the nature and magnitude of the frictions that hinder agricultural technology adoption in low-income settings. Understanding the barriers to innovation among farm households is critical to formulating policies that enhance smallholders’ productivity, competitiveness, and inclusion in agricultural value chains.

Grantholding institution: Centro Studi L.d'Agliano (LdA)

Research Team: Mariapia Mendola (Lead PI- U Milan Bicocca and LdA), Jacopo Bonan (FEEM and LdA), William Ekere (U Makerere, Kampala), Harounan Kazianga (Oklahoma State, U.S.), Alessio Romarri (LdA).

Some pics from the fieldwork: