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Abstract
Changing agricultural research and extension systems mean that informal mechanisms of
information diffusion are often the primary source of information about improved seed and
practices for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper investigates the interactions between
gender, social capital and information exchange in rural Uganda. Within the framework of
farmer-to-farmer models, we conceptualize the informal information diffusion process to
comprise social capital accumulation and information exchange. We assume that each agent
participates in information exchange with a fixed (predetermined) level of social capital and
examine how endowments of social capital influence information exchange, paying close
attention to gender differences. A multinomial logit model is used to analyze multiple
participation choices of information exchange facing the farmer. Findings demonstrate that social
capital is an important factor in information exchange, with men generally having better access to
social capital than women. We also find strong evidence in support of group-based technology
dissemination systems.