June 2020

Fostering innovation through workplace diversity in Brazil

Discrimination continues to plague the Brazilian labor market. Women earn considerably less than men, and young people face persistent high levels of unemployment and underemployment. The country is also seeking drivers of productive growth, particularly through innovation. A team of local PEP researchers found that workforce diversity can increase productivity through innovation. Gender diversity fosters marketing innovation while age diversity boosts product and marketing innovation.

Find out more in the PEP working paper 2020-11 and policy brief 226

Innovating agricultural extension services to increase maize production and reduce food insecurity in Benin

Despite agriculture being the most important sector, food insecurity is a problem facing many in Benin. A team of local PEP researchers conducted an experiment to investigate the impact of a resource-intensive model for agricultural extension services. They found that the resource-intensive model – where all inputs were provided to farmers and the extension agents were incentivized to support farmers in using the inputs appropriately – can be effective for increasing maize production. However, one season of exposure to the resource-intensive model is not sufficient to produce a lasting increase in production.

Find out more in the PEP working paper 2020-15 and policy brief 224