The value of IOT enabled biodigesters: A choice experiment among Kenyan smallholder farmers

While biodigester technology has been promoted among farmers, low adoption remains a reality. Since they come in different technical designs, they have corresponding performance attributes. Moreover, reports of broken biodigesters amid low know-how are common. While theory suggests that people trade off these attributes, information about these tradeoffs is currently unavailable. Developing an understanding of how potential adopters’ trade-off different attributes can reveal important information which technology developers and information providers should consider when promoting the technology. A choice experiment (CE) was designed to elicit data to investigate tradeoffs among various technology attributes. Six attributes in the CE describing the technology included its installation cost, reliability, durability, maintenance cost, movability, and ease of defect identification. A random sample of 455 coffee farmers from Kiambu and Machakos provided data used in the analysis. Estimation was implemented through application of a mixed logit model. Results suggested that respondents were willing to pay Ksh 9,500 for easy defect identification. This suggests the desirability of coupling individual biodigester units with IoT-based sensor instrumentation. This can enhance the continued functioning of biodigesters and stimulate the adoption of the technology leading to reductions in on-farm methane emissions.