The Power of Information : The Impact of Mobile Phones on Farmers’ Welfare in the Philippines
The authors explore the impact of access to information on poor farmers consumption. The analysis combines spatially coded data on mobile phone coverage with household panel data on farmers from some of the poorest areas of the Philippines. Both t...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090716115612 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4189 |
| Summary: | The authors explore the impact of access
to information on poor farmers consumption. The analysis
combines spatially coded data on mobile phone coverage with
household panel data on farmers from some of the poorest
areas of the Philippines. Both the ordinary least squares
and instrumental variable estimates indicate that purchasing
a mobile phone has a large, positive impact on the
household-level growth rate of per capita consumption.
Estimates range from 11 to 17 percent, depending on the
sample and the specification chosen. The authors perform a
range of reliability tests, the results of which all suggest
that the instruments are valid. They also present evidence
consistent with the argument that easier access to
information allows farmers to strike better price deals
within their existing trading relationships and to make
better choices in terms of where they choose to sell their goods. |
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