Investigating demand for biofortified seeds in developing countries

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore farmer acceptance of a biofortified staple food crop in a developing country prior to its commercialization. The paper focuses on the hypothetical introduction of a high-iron pearl millet variety in Maharashtra, India, where pearl millet is among the most important staple crops. Design/methodology/approach – A choice experiment is used to investigate farmer preferences for and trade-offs among various production and consumption attributes of pearl millet. The key pearl millet attributes studied include days it takes pearl millet to mature, color of the roti (flat bread) the grain produces, the presence of high-iron content (nutritional attribute), and the price of the pearl millet seed. Choice data come from 630 pearl millet-producing households from three purposefully selected districts of Maharashtra. A latent class model is used to investigate the heterogeneity in farmers’ preferences for pearl millet attributes and to profile farmers who are more or less likely to choose high-iron varieties of pearl millet. Findings – The results reveal that there are three distinct segments in the sample, and there is significant heterogeneity in farmer preferences across these segments. High-iron pearl millet is valued the most by larger households that produce mainly for household consumption and currently have lower quality diets. Households that mainly produce for market sales, on the other hand, derive lower benefits from consumption characteristics such as color and nutrition. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of the study is that it uses a stated preference choice experiment method, which suffers from hypothetical bias. At the time of implementing this study biofortified high-iron pearl millet varieties were not yet developed, therefore the authors could not have implemented revealed preference elicitation methods with real products and payment. Originality/value – The method used (stated preference choice experiment method) is commonly used to value non-market goods such as environmental goods and products that are not yet in the market. It’s application to agriculture and in developing countries is increasing. As far as the authors know this is the first choice experiment implemented to investigate farmer/consumer preferences for biofortified crops. The study presents valuable information for development and delivery of biofortified crops for reducing micronutrient deficiencies.

Acceptance and adoption of biofortified crops in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

“…Flatbread ( bhakri ) prepared from high iron–biofortified pearl millet was rated with higher scores than that prepared from local varieties of pearl millet by Indian consumers (n = 452). 57 However, only this 1 study on the sensory acceptance of biofortified pearl millet was found.…”

“…There is no effect of information on liking Consumers rated the light yellow and deep yellow cassava differentially on all sensory attributes. Study area was important factor for preference, but the deep yellow was never preferred Pearl millet Birol et al (2015) 57 India Consumers: Rural consumers, M + F, mean age: 40 y; n = 452 Sensory attributes study (5-point hedonic scale) for grain color/size, and color, taste, layers, and ease of breaking of bhakri (thick flatbread) made of HIPM or LPM Overall, HIPM was rated higher (4.2–4.9) for all attributes compared with LPM (3.5–4.2). Information (groups B and C) increased the scores for HIPM and decreased scores for LPM, except for grain color, which remained the same Consumers evaluate HIPM more favorably than LPM varieties Abbreviations : F, female; HIPM, high-iron pearl millet; IB1, iron bean 1; IB2, iron bean 2;; LPM, local pearl millet; M, male; OFSP, orange-fleshed sweet potato; PFSP, purple-fleshed sweet potato; RIB, iron biofortified red bean; SP, sweet potato; WIB, iron biofortified white bean.…”

“…Twenty-five studies on consumer adoption and marketability of biofortified crops were found ( Table 5 29–32 , 37 , 41–43 , 49 , 50 , 55 , 57 , 58 , 65 , 75–82 ). The crop most studied in this respect was maize (n = 8), followed by rice (n = 6), beans (n = 4), sweet potato (n = 3), pearl millet (n = 2), and cassava (n = 2).…”

Farmer perception and valuation of seed quality: Evidence from bean and cowpea seed auctions in Tanzania and Ghana

“…Similarly, Birol et al. () estimated Filipino farmers’ WTP for Bt ( Bacillus thuringiensis ) maize seed, and Birol, Asare‐Marfo, Karandikar, Roy, and Diressie () investigated Indian farmers’ preferences for and trade‐offs among various production and consumption attributes of pearl millet seed with a focus on the hypothetical introduction of a high‐iron pearl millet variety. These prior studies have mostly focused on farmers’ preferences and WTP for varietal attributes or specific genetic trait of a seed to help understand farmers’ willingness to adopt a new crop variety.…”

Building the case for biofortification: Measuring and maximizing impact in the HarvestPlus program

“…Age and sex-disaggregation were fully integrated into nutrition-related aspects of HarvestPlus but gender was not as systematically considered in all aspects of the agricultural and value chain research. To better understand potential constraints to seed availability and access among target households and to inform delivery strategies, HarvestPlus conducted studies to learn from past experience with improved varieties in target countries, including pearl millet in India [27,28]; cassava in Nigeria [29] and beans in Rwanda [30].…”