Discussion Paper No. 71 of 2008 on Does Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties Reduce Poverty? Evidence from Laikipia and Suba Districts in Kenya

Abstract

Adoption of technologies that increase farm yields is a prerequisite for poverty alleviation in agrarian societies. However, the link between adoption of improved varieties and poverty reduction is not well understood or documented. This relationship is explored with an example of improved maize seed adoption in Laikipia and Suba—two rural districts in Kenya. We show that adopters of improved maize seed have higher yields per acre and that poverty is negatively correlated with technology adoption. Policies for increasing diffusion of these technologies include improving access roads to market centres to enhance maize profitability, and increasing awareness among farmers about improved maize varieties.