The last mile problem: Insights from Cambodian smallholder farmers

by Selina J. K. Bruns
Cumulative thesis
Date of Examination:2021-12-17
Date of issue:2022-07-08
Advisor:Prof. Dr. Oliver Mußhoff
Referee:Prof. Dr. Oliver Mußhoff
Referee:Prof. Dr. Bernhard Brümmer
Referee:Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller
Persistent Address: http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-9334

 

 

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Abstract

English

While the progress over recent decades in combating poverty is remarkable and has changed the economic status of many individuals around the globe, the quest for poverty reduction is ongoing. Those still enrooted in poverty are referred to as the last mile. Today, the vast majority of the last mile reside in rural areas, often depending on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood. The last mile problem arises in the quest to understand why the last mile exists and how to approach its various facets. In this thesis, I focus on the human dimension of the last mile problem. Relying on primary data from rural Cambodia, I set out to approach selected questions in five different essays that focus on the unique characteristics, traits, and attitudes of the individual herself to generate knowledge for human-centered policy interventions. As even if a useful technology and a functioning infrastructure are present, if the individual is not accounted for when designing policy interventions, then she might simply not be able to make use of it.
Keywords: behavioral economics; poverty; rural development; cognitive function; scarcity; temptation; field experiments; risk attitude; risk measurement; e-learning; farmers; didactic channels; ICT; credits
 
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