Nudging the adoption of improved crop varieties: evidence from a large randomized controlled sweetpotato trial in Uganda

Okello J.J.; Just D.R.; Verschoor A.; Ojwang S.O.; Mutiso J.M.; Mulwa C.K.; Gong C.; Namanda S.; Rajendran S.; Ssali R.T.; Okim M.; Campos H. · Food Security (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/s12571-025-01617-6

Resumen

To achieve agricultural transformation in developing countries in the face of challenges such as climate change, the use of improved crop varieties needs a jumpstart. Using a randomized controlled trial in Uganda, we test how the nudge theory can be harnessed to deliver increased adoption of improved sweet potato varieties. We find a 7% treatment effect, though the effect is not robust to alternative specifications. We find compelling evidence for heterogeneous treatment effects, with robust treatment effects among those who experienced a stronger emotional connection to the nudges that we deployed. A key concept to help explain this is nostalgia: farmers prone to nostalgia responded more strongly to the traditional farming imagery used to nudge the adoption of improved varieties. © International Society for Plant Pathology and Springer Nature B.V. 2025.