Suchergebnisse

The Growth Enhancement Scheme and e-voucher program, rolled out across Nigeria in 2011 by the federal government, provided the institutional basis for private agro-dealers to engage in the distribution of subsidized fertilizer, improved seeds and extension services to farmers. However, the impact of this policy on different modes of extension service delivery is still missing in literature. We apply an Ordinary Least Squared and Difference-in-Difference methodology on the (2010 and 2012) Living Standard Measurement Study of the World Bank. The results suggest that extension visitations as well as public extension services positively influence farm revenue. Furthermore, a substantial increase in fertilizer expenditure by farmers was observed, due to the e-voucher program, which could have contributed to the improved agricultural output witnessed in Nigeria post-Growth Enhancement Scheme era. Governments across Sub-Saharan Africa should implement policies that harness the economy of scale and scope of the private sector as well as information and communication technologies in delivering on time and adequate agricultural inputs to farmers.

In Germany, the substitution of green electricity (GE) from renewable energy sources for nuclear and fossil electricity is politically intended, yet the demand for GE remains limited. This article provides empirical insight into factors influencing the decision of German small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt GE. Potentially relevant factors are identified through a review of the previous literature and investigated using logit model analyses based on a large-scale survey of German SMEs regarding GE adoption. We find that German SME decision-makers who have consciously decided to adopt GE characteristically have a high level of perceived environmental responsibility. The results also show that an SME's decision to adopt GE is influenced by decision-makers' perceptions of the sustainability, continual availability and price premium of GE. While investigating firms' characteristics, we found evidence that the likelihood of adoption is increased in microenterprises that have displayed pro-environmental behavior (other than GE adoption) in the past. Further, in considering an SME's sales market, customer appreciation of GE is a central determinant of adoption. Finally, our findings suggest that firms' lack of knowledge contributes to the low level of GE adoption. Using our findings, we provide research-based policy recommendations at the end of this paper.