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 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.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Labonne, Julien, Chase, Robert S.
Language:	English
Published:	2009-07-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACCESS TO MARKET, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION, BANK ACCOUNT, CELL PHONE, CELL PHONES, CONSUMPTION MEASURE, CONSUMPTION PATTERNS, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DIGITAL DIVIDE, DURABLE, DURABLE GOODS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC REVIEW, EDUCATION LEVEL, EDUCATION LEVELS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, EXCLUSION, FARM SECTOR, FARM-GATE, FARMER, FARMING ACTIVITIES, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, GRAIN MARKETS, HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS, HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD HEAD, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE, HOUSEHOLDS, ICT, INFORMATION FLOW, INFORMATION ON MARKET, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INSTRUMENT, INTERNATIONAL BANK, LOCAL MARKET, MARKET INFORMATION, MARKET PRICES, MARKETING, MOBILE PHONE, MOBILE PHONES, NEGATIVE SHOCKS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NEW TECHNOLOGY, PC, PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION, POLICY RESEARCH, POOR FARMERS, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY STATUS, PRICE INFORMATION, PRICE UNCERTAINTY, QUALITY OF SERVICE, RELIABILITY, REMITTANCES, RESULT, RESULTS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL MARKETS, SOCIAL CAPITAL, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL WELFARE, STANDARD ERRORS, SUBSISTENCE, SUBSISTENCE FARMERS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, TRADING, TRANSACTION, TRUST FUND, USES, VILLAGE, VILLAGES, WEB, WITHDRAWAL,
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 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/4189
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