Browsing by Author "Mekonnen, Alemu"

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Are Agricultural Extension Packages What Ethiopian Farmers Want? A Stated Preference Analysis
(2005) Yesuf, Mahmud; Mekonnen, Alemu; Köhlin, Gunnar; Carlsson, Fredrik; Department of Economics
There is an evident dichotomy in many rural development policies in the world between extension driven adoption of modern inputs and community driven local public goods. However, the target populations of these policies seldom have the possibility to express their preference between these two policies. In this paper we report the results of a stated preference survey in the highlands of Ethiopia where the farmers are given a choice between an agricultural extension package and a local public good - health care or protected spring. The study finds that a majority of people prefers the public good. However, when the extension package is combined with insurance in terms of no payback of the credit in case of crop loss, then we find a significant increase in the choice of the extension package. The study thus sheds light on why Ethiopia’s major development strategy has had limited success and gives evidence of how stated preference methodologies can be utilized for development policy design.
Biomass Fuel Consumption and Dung Use as Manure - Evidence from Rul Households in the Amrahara Region of Ethiopia
(2009-11-19T15:28:04Z) Mekonnen, Alemu; Köhlin, Gunnar
Soil nutrient depletion is a critical problem, contributing to low agricultural productivity and the limited domestic food supply in sub-Saharan Africa. Fertilizer use in Ethiopia is one of the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. Particularly in the northern half of the Ethiopian highlands, use of dung as manure is also limited partly because of a significant level of dung consumption as a source of household fuel. Use of dung as fuel is also an important cause of health problems, mainly through indoor air pollution. Plantation interventions are carried out based on the expectation that fuelwood could substitute for dung, thus increasing agricultural productivity. This study examined (1) the determinants of rural households’ decision to use dung as fuel and as manure, and (2) the determinants of consumption of woody biomass and dung as household fuel sources. We found that the decision to use dung as fuel and manure was influenced by household assets (such as livestock and land size), as well as household characteristics (such as family size and age-sex composition of members), suggesting the important role of asset, product, and labor market imperfections. The type of stove and distance to towns also influenced fuel use. We found no evidence that woody biomass and dung were substitutes as household fuel, and in fact there were indications that they are complements. These results suggest the need to focus on asset-poor households to address the limited use of manure. Moreover, energy issues should be considered simultaneously. Encouraging the use of more appropriate (or energy efficient) stoves and other sources of energy that can reduce the use of dung as fuel are important options because they can improve energy efficiency and agricultural productivity, as well as improved health from reduced indoor air pollution.
Contingent valuation of community plantations in Ethiopia: a look into value elicitation formats and intra-household preference variations
(2004) Mekonnen, Alemu; Köhlin, Gunnar; Carlsson, Fredrik; Department of Economics
This paper is an application of the contingent valuation method on community plantations in the highlands of Ethiopia. A discrete-continuous elicitation format was applied. It was found that there is a problem in applying a closed ended elicitation format in this context with a community resource since a community resource typically implies a community based scenario and such a scenario invites to yea-saying. The wellknown problem of compliance bias is also difficult to avoid in such settings. Application of a closed-ended format under such circumstances would exaggerate the willingness to pay for the good in question. The study asked both spouses in a household for their willingness to pay for a new plantation. The analysis of the bid function shows that there are gender variations in the factors that affect the bids. The common preference model was thus rejected in this application. The analysis also indicates that it might be a good idea to concentrate plantation efforts since there seem to be specialization going on in collection behavior. Women in villages without any existing community plantation are, however, significantly more interested in the establishment of a plantation than men. The aggregate willingness to pay vary dramatically between villages pointing at the need for good selection methods in targeting such interventions.
Determinants of Adoption and Impacts of Sustainable Land Management and Climate Smart Agricultural Practices (SLM-CSA) :Panel Data Evidence from the Ethiopian Highlands
(2017-08) Beyene, Abebe D; Mekonnen, Alemu; Kassie, Menale; Di Falco, Salvatore; Bezabih, Mintewab; Abebe D. Beyene, corresponding author, Environment and Climate Research Center, Ethiopian Development Research Institute, email: abebed2002@yahoo.co.uk. Alemu Mekonnen, Department of Economics, Addis Ababa University, email: alemu_m2004@yahoo.com. Menale Kassie, International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 1041, 00621 Village, Market, Nairobi, Kenya, email: mkassie@icipe.org. Salvatore Di Falco, University of Geneva, Switzerland, email: Salvatore.DiFalco@unige.ch. Mintewab Bezabih Ayele, Environment and Climate Research Center, Ethiopian Development Research Institute. email: mintewab.ayele@gmail.com.
This paper analyzes the factors affecting adoption of sustainable land management and climate smart agricultural (SLM-CSA) practices (in particular tree planting, soil conservation and intercropping) and the effects of adoption on crop net revenue. We use two rounds of household and parcel level survey data collected from the East Gojjam and South Wollo Zones in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, in combination with spatially explicit climate data (rainfall and temperature). We use a multinomial endogenous switching regression model to understand the impacts of SLM-CSA practices on crop net revenue and we conduct a counterfactual analysis to compare the returns from various adaptation strategies. The results show the importance of household characteristics, physical characteristics of the farm, and climate-related factors in farm households’ decisions to adopt adaptation strategies. We also find that the adoption of SLM-CSA practices, either in isolation or in combination, can result in both positive and negative returns in crop net revenue. Tree planting has the best payoff among the practices considered in this study, either in isolation or in combination. The study also suggests that adoption of all three SLM-CSA practices does not necessarily result in better returns compared to other strategies considered in this study.
Determinants of Household Fuel Choice in Major Cities in Ethiopia
(2009-11-30T10:27:58Z) Mekonnen, Alemu; Köhlin, Gunnar
This paper looks at the fuel choice of urban households in major Ethiopian cities, using panel data collected in 2000 and 2004. It examines use of multiple fuels by households in some detail, a topic not much explored in the household fuel-choice literature in general, and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. The results suggest that as households’ total expenditures rise, they increase the number of fuels used, even in urban areas, and they also spend more on the fuels they consume (including charcoal but not wood). The results also show that even fuel types such as wood are not inferior goods. The results support more recent arguments in the literature (using Latin American and Asian data) that multiple fuel use (fuel stacking) better describes fuel-choice behavior of households in developing countries, as opposed to the idea that households switch (completely) to other (more expensive but cleaner) fuels as their incomes rise. This study shows the relevance of fuel stacking (multiple fuel use) in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. While income is an important variable, the results of this study suggest the need to consider other variables such as cooking and consumption habits, dependability of supply, cost, and household preferences and tastes to explain household fuel choice, as well as to recommend policies that address issues associated with household energy use.
Household Tree Planting in Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia: Tree Species, Purposes, and Determinants
(2010-02-18T09:10:21Z) Gebreegziabher, Zenebe; Mekonnen, Alemu; Kassie, Menale; Köhlin, Gunnar
Trees have multiple purposes in rural Ethiopia, providing significant economic and ecological benefits. Planting trees supplies rural households with wood products for their own consumption, as well for sale, and decreases soil degradation. In this paper, we used cross-sectional household-level data to analyze the determinants of household tree planting and explored the most important tree attributes or purpose(s) that enhance the propensity to plant trees. We set up a sample selection framework that simultaneously takes into account the two decisions of tree growers (whether or not to plant tree and how many) to analyze the determinants of tree planting. We used logistic regression to analyze the most important tree attributes contributing to households’ tree-planting decisions. We found that land size, age, gender, tenure security, education, exogenous income, and agro-ecology increased both the propensity to plant trees and the amount of tree planting, while increased livestock holding impacted both decisions negatively. Our findings also suggested that households consider a number of attributes in making decision to plant trees. These results can be used by policymakers to promote tree planting in the study area by strengthening tenure security and considering households’ selection of specific tree species for their attributes (criteria).
Rural energy and afforestation: case studies from Ethiopia
(1998) Mekonnen, Alemu
The Tilling of Land in a Changing Climate:Panel Data Evidence from the Nile Basin of Ethiopia
(2017-03) Teklewold, Hailemariam; Mekonnen, Alemu; Environment and Climate Research Center(EfD-Ethiopia)
Empirical studies point to reduced tillage as a means to increase yields and reverse land degradation. A relatively neglected avenue of research concerns why farmers increase tillage frequencies. Using household plot–level panel data from the Nile Basin of Ethiopia, this article applies a random effects ordered probit endogenous switching regression model to empirically investigate the impact of weather events and other conditioning factors on farmers’ choice of tillage intensity and the effect of changing tillage frequencies on differences in farm returns. Results indicate that, while low-frequency tillage is more likely in drier areas, plot-level shocks (such as pests and diseases) are key variables in the choice of high-frequency tillage. Adoption of a low-till approach leads to increasing farm returns in low-moisture areas but high-frequency tillage provides higher returns in high-rainfall areas. Understanding how farmers’ tillage options correlate with climatic conditions and farm economies is salient for developing effective adaptation and mitigation plans