Improved Cassava Varieties and Smallholder Farmers' Productivity and Welfare in Ghana: Insights From a Robust Impact Estimator Selection Approach

ABSTRACT The development and dissemination of improved agricultural technologies are crucial for enhancing productivity and the welfare of smallholder farmers. Although there is growing empirical evidence on the impact of improved agricultural technologies on various economic and social outcomes, some studies often overlook potential biases. Stemming from both observable and unobservable characteristics, these biases can result in misleading conclusions. To fill the gap, this study examined the impact of the adoption of improved cassava varieties (ICV) on farm performance and household welfare using a sample of 608 households from 14 rural communities in Ghana. To account for potential biases, the study used appropriate matching algorithm, local average treatment effects and endogenous treatment effects regression. The findings show that ICV adoption has a positive impact on cassava yields, whole‐farm land productivity, and household crop incomes. We also show that adopters have significantly lower total annual per capita and food expenditures than non‐adopters. Furthermore, adopters were found to spend more on children's education. Thus, policies and strategies aimed at increasing ICV adoption rates could lead to increased land productivity and crop incomes, as well as enhanced food security and higher investment in children's education, particularly for female‐headed farm households.