Can we nudge farmers into saving water? Evidence from a randomised experiment
Year: 2019
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: We test whether social comparison nudges can promote water-saving behaviour among farmers as a complement to traditional CAP measures. We conducted a randomised controlled trial among 200 farmers equipped with irrigation smart meters in South-West France. Treated farmers received weekly information on individual and group water consumption over four months. Our results rule out medium to large effect-sizes of the nudge. Moreover, they suggest that the nudge was effective at reducing the consumption of those who irrigate the most, although it appears to have reduced the proportion of those who do not consume water at all.
DOI: 10.1093/erae/jbz022
Institutions: Toulouse School of Economics, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Toulouse, Université Toulouse Capitole, Université de Montpellier, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Agro Montpellier, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Center for Environmental Economics - Montpellier
Language: English
Subfield: General Decision Sciences
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2891633145