Behavior Change Research

Busara conducted behavior change research with 5 DFS providers who were experiencing challenges with smallholder farmer adoption and usage of their DFS offerings or not using the offerings as intended.

This research identified the factors that drove smallholder farmer behavior, including preferences, beliefs, and cognitive biases. Using co-design workshops and human-centered design methods, we developed prototypes of solutions around these factors, which we then tested in the field using mini-RCTs and behavioral lab games to assess the prototypes’ potential effectiveness in changing smallholder farmer behavior.

Each behavioral project was carried out over 9 to 10 months and rolled out in 3 phases:

• A diagnostic qualitative research phase to uncover the drivers of smallholder farmer behavior
• A design phase to develop prototypes of solutions for increasing adoption and use
• A testing phase to measure the potential impact of the prototypes.

The following is a summary of our DFS partners and the focus of our research.

Behavior Change Toolkit

Using Behavioral Science to Drive Adoption Among Smallholder Farmers