Aspirational hope, dairy farming practices, and milk production: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Bolivia

Francesco Cecchi; Adriana Garcia; Robert Lensink; Bruce Wydick

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106087

Aspirational hope, dairy farming practices, and milk production: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Bolivia

Francesco Cecchi^*, Adriana Garcia, Robert Lensink, Bruce Wydick

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

Development economics has increasingly studied the role of diminished aspirations and other internal constraints that may form poverty traps. We present results from a controlled experiment to develop aspirational hope among 531 dairy farmers in Bolivia. Subjects in the treatment group participated in three coaching sessions that involved watching an inspiring documentary and participating in group workshops designed to augment aspirations related to dairy production. Results three months after baseline show an increase of 0.20σ in both an aspirational hope index and a business goals index, a 1.07σ increase in an index of quality-enhancing practices, but an insignificant increase in milk production. Increases in aspirations and best practices were strongest among those displaying high levels of intrinsic motivation at baseline.

Original language	English
Article number	106087
Journal	World Development
Volume	160
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106087
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

Keywords

Aspirational hope
Aspirations
Bolivia
Business outcomes
Dairy farming
Learned hopelessness

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10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106087Licence: CC BY

https://edepot.wur.nl/577693Licence: CC BY

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title = "Aspirational hope, dairy farming practices, and milk production: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Bolivia",

abstract = "Development economics has increasingly studied the role of diminished aspirations and other internal constraints that may form poverty traps. We present results from a controlled experiment to develop aspirational hope among 531 dairy farmers in Bolivia. Subjects in the treatment group participated in three coaching sessions that involved watching an inspiring documentary and participating in group workshops designed to augment aspirations related to dairy production. Results three months after baseline show an increase of 0.20σ in both an aspirational hope index and a business goals index, a 1.07σ increase in an index of quality-enhancing practices, but an insignificant increase in milk production. Increases in aspirations and best practices were strongest among those displaying high levels of intrinsic motivation at baseline.",

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AU - Cecchi, Francesco

AU - Garcia, Adriana

AU - Lensink, Robert

AU - Wydick, Bruce

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Development economics has increasingly studied the role of diminished aspirations and other internal constraints that may form poverty traps. We present results from a controlled experiment to develop aspirational hope among 531 dairy farmers in Bolivia. Subjects in the treatment group participated in three coaching sessions that involved watching an inspiring documentary and participating in group workshops designed to augment aspirations related to dairy production. Results three months after baseline show an increase of 0.20σ in both an aspirational hope index and a business goals index, a 1.07σ increase in an index of quality-enhancing practices, but an insignificant increase in milk production. Increases in aspirations and best practices were strongest among those displaying high levels of intrinsic motivation at baseline.

AB - Development economics has increasingly studied the role of diminished aspirations and other internal constraints that may form poverty traps. We present results from a controlled experiment to develop aspirational hope among 531 dairy farmers in Bolivia. Subjects in the treatment group participated in three coaching sessions that involved watching an inspiring documentary and participating in group workshops designed to augment aspirations related to dairy production. Results three months after baseline show an increase of 0.20σ in both an aspirational hope index and a business goals index, a 1.07σ increase in an index of quality-enhancing practices, but an insignificant increase in milk production. Increases in aspirations and best practices were strongest among those displaying high levels of intrinsic motivation at baseline.

KW - Aspirational hope

KW - Aspirations

KW - Bolivia

KW - Business outcomes

KW - Dairy farming

KW - Learned hopelessness

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DO - 10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106087

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VL - 160

JO - World Development

JF - World Development

M1 - 106087

ER -

Aspirational hope, dairy farming practices, and milk production: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Bolivia

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Keywords

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