Data and Code for: Can Network Theory-based Targeting Increase Technology Adoption?

Can targeting information to network-central farmers induce more adoption of a new agricultural technology? By combining social network data and a field experiment in 200 villages in Malawi, we find that targeting central farmers is important to spur the diffusion process. We also provide evidence of one explanation for why centrality matters: a diffusion process governed by complex contagion. Our results are consistent with a model in which many farmers need to learn from multiple people before they adopt themselves. This means that without proper targeting of information, the diffusion process can stall and technology adoption remains perpetually low. The study used a clustered randomization at the village level. Randomization was stratified by district, and implemented using a re-randomization procedure which checked balance on three village-level covariates: percent of village using compost at baseline; percent village using fertilizer at baseline, and percent of village using pit planting at baseline. Adult farmers living in 200 villages (approximately 5,600 households) in 3 Malawian districts with largely semi-arid climates (Machinga, Mwanza, and Nkhotakota). Smallest Geographic Unit: Village face-to-face interview; on-site questionnaire;