Presentation Information
[1I08]An Empirical Analysis of Agricultural Extension in the West Bank, Palestine - Farmers’ Technology Adoption Behavior and Constraints from the Separation Walls and Israeli Settlements
*Tomoki NAKAMURA1 (1. Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.)
Keywords:
Palestine,Agricultural Extension,Technology Adoption,Separation Wall,Israeli Settlement
This study aimed to clarify general trends in farmer behavior in conflict-affected areas, focusing on the West Bank from an empirical perspective in development economics. Conflict has a profound impact on local economic activity and institution building, but the limited area affected and the difficulty of data collection have led to limited research. Since the First Arab Israeli War in 1948, the West Bank has experienced several wars and occupations. Although an interim self-governance agreement was reached under the Oslo Accords II in 1995, occupation continues as of 2025. Conflicts and occupation have hindered agricultural development in the region. The Palestinian Authority has implemented agricultural extension services to support affected farmers, but quantitative analysis of their effectiveness has been limited.
This study hypothesized and tested whether the separation wall and Israeli settlements, where the impact is particularly pronounced, inhibit agricultural extension services, while agricultural extension services promote technology adoption among Palestinian farmers. Because the benefits of agricultural extension services are not randomly determined and there is a potential for self-selection bias due to farmers' intentions, propensity score matching (PSM) was used to estimate the treatment effect of agricultural extension services on technology adoption. Additionally, to quantify the impact of conflict, location information on the separation walls and Israeli settlements was used.
The analysis confirmed that, after controlling self-selection bias, agricultural extension has a significantly positive effect on the adoption of improved crop varieties, organic fertilizers, pesticides, and integrated pest management (IPM). In other words, as hypothesized, agricultural extension promotes farmers' adoption of technologies. Furthermore, the study revealed that areas closer to the separation wall and Israeli settlements were less likely to receive agricultural extension, suggesting the need for policies to promote technology adoption that take these obstacles into account. Based on the empirical results, the study then outlines policy implications for agricultural extension policies and the development of the agricultural sector in the West Bank.
This study hypothesized and tested whether the separation wall and Israeli settlements, where the impact is particularly pronounced, inhibit agricultural extension services, while agricultural extension services promote technology adoption among Palestinian farmers. Because the benefits of agricultural extension services are not randomly determined and there is a potential for self-selection bias due to farmers' intentions, propensity score matching (PSM) was used to estimate the treatment effect of agricultural extension services on technology adoption. Additionally, to quantify the impact of conflict, location information on the separation walls and Israeli settlements was used.
The analysis confirmed that, after controlling self-selection bias, agricultural extension has a significantly positive effect on the adoption of improved crop varieties, organic fertilizers, pesticides, and integrated pest management (IPM). In other words, as hypothesized, agricultural extension promotes farmers' adoption of technologies. Furthermore, the study revealed that areas closer to the separation wall and Israeli settlements were less likely to receive agricultural extension, suggesting the need for policies to promote technology adoption that take these obstacles into account. Based on the empirical results, the study then outlines policy implications for agricultural extension policies and the development of the agricultural sector in the West Bank.
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