Do Pesticide Sellers Make Farmers Sick? Health, Information, and Adoption of Technology in Bangladesh

Abstract

We study the impact of supply-side and demand-side pesticide regulations on the adoption of health technologies and health outcomes in Bangladesh. We use a unique dataset that spans the chain from where farmers obtain information and which precautionary tools (i.e., masks, gloves) they use to subsequent health outcomes after spraying. In contrast to previous studies, we find that information from pesticide sellers increases the adoption of precautionary tools and subsequently improves health outcomes. We also find that there is substantial social learning from peers that act as key knowledge multipliers.

Keywords

• bangladesh
• health
• information sources
• peer networks
• pesticides
• pesticide sellers
• technology adoption