Impact of best practice hubs (BPHs) and vegetable technology immersion cluster (VTICs) on vegetable productivity and welfare of rural farm households in Mali

摘要

The diets of poor rural households in Mali are short of essential nutrients such as protein, minerals and vitamins, leading to chronic undernourishment and poor health. Increasing the production and consumption of micronutrient-rich vegetables can contribute to addressing this problem. This study evaluated an intervention that used a Training-of-Trainers approach - more specifically, best practice hubs (BPHs) and vegetable technology immersion clusters (VTICs), to train rural men and women in Sikassoand Mopti regions of Mali in improved vegetable production methods. The training included good agricultural practices, integrated pest management and postharvest handling among other topics. The study used cross-sectional data for 217 intervention and 183 control households and applied Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and a Treatment Effect Model (TEM) to correct for selection bias. The results show that households in the intervention group had a significantly higher land productivity increase (+2.2 kgm2 or about 39%) than households in the control group. Their per capita expenditures (cash and in-kind) were also significantly higher (between 29 and 36%). These findings suggest that the interventions significantly increased vegetable productivity andfarmers' welfare and could be an effective approach to promote the adoption of vegetable production and consumption in rural Mali.