Optimizing social learning about agricultural technology: Experiments in India and Bangladesh

There is a broad view that agricultural extension services in developing countries have under-performed. This signals a need for research into how extension can be improved – or overhauled – in order to improve learning and ultimately increase adoption of proven technologies. Ongoing research outlined here seeks to test innovations to the extension system that are meant to drive adoption. Broadly, the main questions being addressed are who should carry out demonstrations, how should they be carried out, and to what extent should private sector seed dealers be engaged as recipients of extension services.