Innovating agricultural extension services to increase maize production and reduce food insecurity in Benin

Despite agriculture being the most important sector, food insecurity is a problem facing many in Benin. A team of local PEP researchers conducted an experiment to investigate the impact of a resource-intensive model for agricultural extension services. They found that the resource-intensive model – where all inputs were provided to farmers and the extension agents were incentivized to support farmers in using the inputs appropriately – can be effective for increasing maize production. However, one season of exposure to the resource-intensive model is not sufficient to produce a lasting increase in production.
Find out more about the research methods, findings and policy recommendations in the following PEP publications: