Green skills training for banana producers in Ecuador: Lessons from a pilot

At MIDE Development, we recently conducted the impact evaluation of a pilot training program for banana producers in Ecuador, focused on green jobs–related skills.

The initiative, implemented by Humboldt Zentrum with support from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), offered 400 hours of training in sustainable farming techniques, post-harvest management, pest control, and digital and socio-emotional skills.

Eight months after completion, our analysis found that the program did not produce significant improvements in labor or production outcomes. On the contrary, there was a reduction in net monthly income, particularly among women and participants with prior training—highlighting the need to redesign such interventions to maximize their impact.

Objective
The evaluation aimed to rigorously measure the program’s impact on labor, production, and skills outcomes, as well as to identify differences by gender and prior experience. The goal was to provide evidence to guide future agricultural training strategies.

Methodology
We applied a randomized experiment with oversubscription and a replacement group:

• Sample: 122 eligible producers; 50 assigned to treatment, 50 to control, and 10 as replacements.

• Instruments: Baseline survey, administrative data, and a follow-up phone survey eight months after training.

• Analysis: Intention-to-Treat (ITT) and Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE) estimates, disaggregated by gender and prior training.

Key findings

• Labor outcomes: Drop in net monthly income (-40% ITT and -54% LATE), with no changes in total employment or formality.

• Production and sales: Lower likelihood of facing production problems but reduced sales expectations in some groups; negative impact from extreme weather conditions.

• Skills: No significant improvements, as 85% already had extensive prior experience.

• Heterogeneous effects: Women experienced greater declines in income and skills perceptions; men saw some production improvements.

Implications for Green Skills Programs
To be effective, these programs should:

• Tailor content to participants’ prior knowledge levels.

• Incorporate a gender-sensitive approach.

• Strengthen hands-on, real-world training components.

• Link training to market opportunities and formal employment.

• Include climate adaptation strategies.

• Provide continuous follow-up and skills updates.

At MIDE Development, we believe that this evidence is key to designing more relevant, inclusive, and resilient interventions. This pilot confirms that content customization, gender equity, and market linkage are essential for agricultural training to deliver sustainable change.