FARMERS’ WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A FRAMED FIELD EXPERIMENT FROM KENYA
| dc.contributor.author | Neda Trifkovic | |
| dc.contributor.author | Nathan Remcho | |
| dc.contributor.author | Joshua Laichena | |
| dc.contributor.author | Francis Kaloi | |
| dc.contributor.author | Jecinta Anomat Ali | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hillary Wakhungu | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-20T13:09:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-20T13:09:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Tackling climate change requires scaling up circular economy practices. However, there is little guidance on how this can be done in resource-scarce settings such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where most of the population relies on agriculture for livelihoods but faces challenges related to agricultural waste disposal. This study posits that an effective way of boosting circular economy practices is to promote conversion of biowaste to biochar and explores the acceptance of this idea among Kenyan smallholder tomato farmers. The study uses a randomized information-based intervention that conveys important facts about tomato biowaste and its conversion to biochar. Measured immediately after the intervention, the results show that farmers who received information about biochar are more likely to support relevant policies and the adoption of this practice, even if it is costly. Message framing plays an important role in shaping acceptance. Collective information more strongly increased policy support – a subsidy in particular, and public goods contributions, which capture intention to support collective biochar production. The individual framing significantly increased willingness to pay for own-farm biochar production. The implications of this study are twofold. First, it indicates a strong role of information and in particular collective message framing in eliciting support for public policies targeting the circular economy and climate change. Second, this study reveals that at present, there is interest in both collective and individual biochar production from tomato biowaste in Kenya. However, investments in collective facilities require transparency in assessing personal gains from collective effort. These findings are useful for policymakers when devising policy instruments and gauging the costs of public investment in the circular economy. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://publication.aercafricalibrary.org/handle/123456789/4124 | |
| dc.publisher | AERC | |
| dc.title | FARMERS’ WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A FRAMED FIELD EXPERIMENT FROM KENYA |