Risk,learning, and technology adoption

This article explores how decision makers learn and use information, with an application to the adoption of biotechnology in agriculture. The empirical analysis relies on experimental and survey data measuring risk preferences, learning processes, and the adoption of genetically modified (GM) seeds among U.S. grain farmers. While controlling for risk aversion, we link individual learning rules with the cognitive abilities of each decision maker and their actual GM adoption decisions. We find evidence that very few individuals are Bayesian learners, and that the population of farmers is quite heterogeneous in terms of learning rules. This suggests that Bayesian learning (as commonly assumed in the analysis of agricultural technology adoption) is not an appropriate characterization. In addition, we do not find a strong relationship between observed learning styles and the timing of GM seed adoption. To the extent that learning is a key part of the process of technology adoption, this suggests the presence of much unobserved heterogeneity in learning among farmers.     

A dynamic adoption model with Bayesian learning: an application to U.S. soybean farmers

Adoption of agricultural technology is often sequential, with farmers first adopting a new technology on part of their lands and then adjusting their use of the new technology in later years based on what was learned from the initial partial adoption. Our article explains this experimental behavior by using a dynamic adoption model with Bayesian learning, in which forward‐looking farmers take account of future impacts of their learning from both their own and their neighbors’ experiences with the new technology. We apply the analysis to a panel of U.S. soybean farmers surveyed from 2000 to 2004 to examine their adoption of the genetically modified (GM) seed technology. We compare the results of the forward‐looking model to that of a myopic model, in which farmers maximize current benefits only. Results suggest that the forward‐looking model fits data better than the myopic model does. And potential estimation biases arise when fitting a myopic model to forward‐looking decision makers.     

New Maize Variety Adoption in Mozambique: A Spatial Approach

Farmers in developing countries can dramatically improve their productivity by adopting new plant varieties. Yet, informational barriers often mean adoption rates remain low. In this study, we focus on how learning from others represents one means of removing informational barriers. We capture the effect of social learning through an explicitly spatial econometric model applied to farm‐level maize adoption rates in Mozambique. We find that social learning is significant and can help explain the apparent clustering of adoption among farmers. Agencies interested in promoting variety adoption, therefore, would be well served to leverage the strength of existing information networks, rather than imposing solutions that work against interfarmer information flow.     

Impact of conservation agriculture technology on household welfare in Zambia

This article examines the determinants and impact of conservation agriculture (CA) technology adoption on farm household welfare in Zambia. To account for selection bias from both observable and unobservable factors, an endogenous switching regression model is employed to estimate the impact of the technology on continuous outcomes like farm output, throughput accounting ratio (TAR), poverty gap, and severity of poverty. A recursive bivariate probit model is however used for the estimation of impact of adoption on a binary outcome like poverty headcount. The empirical findings demonstrate that the adoption of CA technology increases maize output, and farm TAR and reduces household poverty. Moreover, the results reveal that farmers’ years of schooling, social networks, access to credit, extension services, and machinery as well as soil quality positively influence adoption of CA technology.     

Gender and the dynamics of technology adoption: Empirical evidence from a household-level panel data

Very few empirical studies account for the dynamic nature of the agricultural technology adoption decision and none of these explores if this dynamic nature depends on the gender of the decision maker. Using four waves of a household-level Ugandan panel data, this is the first empirical analysis to account for self-learning (one's own adoption experience) in explaining current adoption decision in a developing country context, and the first to study the interaction between self-learning and gender. Technology adoption is defined as adoption of hybrid seed, inorganic fertilizer, or pesticides. Our results indicate that the dynamic panel data Probit model is superior to its static counterpart in the sense that self-learning, captured by lagged technology adoption indicators, is by far the most important determinant of technology adoption. We also find a weaker impact of self-learning for female-headed households than male-headed households. Female-headed households face fewer learning opportunities, which produce a lower self-learning impact in later periods, further exacerbating the gap in technology adoption among male- and female-headed households.     

养羊（场）户品种改良技术采纳意愿影响因素分析——基于13省477份调研问卷数据

[目的]基于全国13省477份问卷数据,对我国养羊(场)户品种改良技术采纳意愿影响因素进行分析。[方法]文章运用多元有序Logit模型,选取决策者自身特征、生产经营特征、组织特征、环境特征、认知与预期特征共4类17个变量,分析其对养羊(场)户品种改良技术采纳意愿的影响。[结果] 17个变量中,受访者的年龄、养殖年限、社会网络关系、获取信息难度、对自家目前肉羊品种改良技术改进必要性认知、对品种改良技术风险认知、规模扩大预期以及政府政策等变量对其品种改良技术采纳意愿具有显著影响。[结论]首先政府应加大对养羊(场)户品种改良技术采纳补贴资金或政策扶持力度,降低其技术采纳成本和风险;其次技术推广部门应集中在某一地区进行合理的技术推广布局,激活其社会网络内部的信息传播机制,降低养羊(场)户获取信息难度;然后推广技术的同时,尽量告知养羊(场)户改良后品种在饲养管理等方面需要注意的问题,帮助其降低风险;最后多渠道推动我国肉羊产业规模化发展,提高其整体的品种改良技术采纳能力及风险抵御能力。     

Heterogeneous information exposure and technology adoption: the case of tissue culture bananas in Kenya

Classical innovation adoption models implicitly assume homogenous information flow across farmers, which is often not realistic. As a result, selection bias in adoption parameters may occur. We focus on tissue culture (TC) banana technology that was introduced in Kenya more than 10 years ago. Up till now, adoption rates have remained relatively low. We employ the average treatment effects approach to account for selection bias and extend it by explicitly differentiating between awareness exposure (having heard of a technology) and knowledge exposure (understanding the attributes of a technology). Using a sample of Kenyan banana farmers, we find that estimated adoption parameters differ little when comparing the classical adoption model with one that corrects for heterogeneous awareness exposure. However, parameters differ considerably when accounting for heterogeneous knowledge exposure. This is plausible: while many farmers have heard about TC technology, its successful use requires notable changes in cultivation practices, and proper understanding is not yet very widespread. These results are also important for other technologies that are knowledge‐intensive and require considerable adjustments in traditional practices.     

基于老龄化背景下的绿色生产技术推广研究——以生物农药与测土配方肥为例

[目的]探讨老龄化与农业技术推广对农户采纳绿色生产技术的影响。[方法]文章通过二元Logit模型,利用湖北省襄阳、宜昌、黄冈、潜江4市587户水稻种植户样本数据进行实证分析。[结果](1)老龄化阻碍了农户的绿色生产技术采纳行为,老年组农户相对于年轻组而言,采纳生物农药和测土配方施肥技术的概率在下降,采纳生物农药的年轻组和老年组农户分别占总样本的47.79%和37.67%,采纳测土配方肥的年轻组和老年组农户分别占25.00%和15.48%;(2)农业技术推广能够在一定程度上缓解老龄化对农户采纳绿色生产技术的阻碍。具体而言,政府宣传与政府培训均能显著促进年轻农户的绿色生产技术采纳行为;政府宣传能有效促进老年农户采纳绿色生产技术,但政府培训对其影响作用并不明显。[结论]政府应加强绿色生产技术的宣传力度和培训力度,针对中老年人降低培训难度,且为中老年人提供良好的学习环境。     

农户生计资本对不同偏好技术采纳行为的影响基于可持续生计框架的分析

目的 农户行为理论中的行为动因决定了农户在生产过程中的技术采用行为,农户的技术采用行为受到农业资源稀缺性的约束,由于农户自身生计资本的异质性,农户生计方式的选择和技术偏好都有所差异,导致农户在生产技术采用行为上也有差异。方法 文章基于农户分化背景下,从农户可持续生计的角度出发,将农户的荔枝龙眼主产区广东、广西区域的农户荔枝龙眼技术采用行为作为研究对象,选择二元Logit模型从多维的农户生计资本的视角研究农户的技术采用行为差异以及影响因素。结果 农户生计资本中的人力资本、社会资本、金融资本、自然资本和物质资本五个方面影响着农户生产技术采用与效率。结论 健全和完善保障机制,提升农户的人力资本;拓展多元化的社会网络,提升农户的社会资本;健全农村信贷制度,提升农户的金融资本;加快土地提质增效,提升农户的自然资本;加强果园设施建设和完善补贴措施,提升农户的物质资本。     

The impact of social networks on hybrid seed adoption in India

This article adds to the literature about the impact of social networks on the adoption of modern seed technologies among smallholder farmers in developing countries. The analysis centers on the adoption of hybrid wheat and hybrid pearl millet in India. In the local context, both crops are cultivated mainly on a subsistence basis, and they provide examples of hybrid technologies at very different diffusion stages: while hybrid wheat was commercialized in India only in 2001, hybrid pearl millet was launched in 1965. The analysis is based on surveys of wheat and millet farmers in the state of Maharashtra. Comprehensive data on farmer characteristics and social interactions allow for identifying individual networks, thereby improving upon previous research approaches that employed village-level variables as proxies for network effects. Using econometric models, we find that individual social networks play an important role for technology adoption decisions. While village-level variables may be used as suitable proxies at later diffusion stages, they tend to underestimate the role of individual networks during early phases of adoption.     

Factors influencing technological practices in the Brazilian agrarian reform

In recent decades, agriculture has responded to technology-related changes with strong productivity growth. Despite this evolution, the adoption of new technologies by small farmers has been a consistent challenge. In the coming years, the adoption of technology should be an essential element for the survival of small producers. To follow this evolution, the objective of this research is to identify factors that influence the adoption of higher levels of technological practices by producers of the agrarian reform in the Midwestern region of Brazil. Technological practices were evaluated based on the adoption of natural or chemical inputs, crop rotation, high yield seeds and mechanization. Higher levels of technological practices were defined as the joint use of these technologies, classified as technological packages. We identified two technological packages, one using natural inputs and the other chemical inputs. Questionnaires were applied to 1,162 settlers and the analytical model used was an ordered logit. Education, technical assistance and exchange experience with neighbors have a positive effect on technology use but do not favor the use of technological packages, which are instead favored by training courses in technology, partnerships with agro-food companies and resources available for investment. Thus, the government’s priority should be to offer good technical support and access to training courses in technology. The financing of production costs did not show any effect on the adoption of technology, in contrast to funding for investments. Consequently, the financing of production costs should be reconsidered to favor greater technological investments.     

参与电商会促进猕猴桃种植户绿色生产技术采纳吗?——基于倾向得分匹配的反事实估计

本文利用陕西、四川两省686户猕猴桃种植户的调查数据,在采用变异系数法度量猕猴桃种植户绿色生产技术采纳程度的基础上,利用倾向得分匹配法构建反事实框架,实证分析参与电商对猕猴桃种植户绿色生产技术采纳的影响效应。结果表明:猕猴桃种植户绿色生产子技术的重要性依次为测土配方施肥技术、物理防治技术、套袋技术、无公害农药使用技术、有机肥施用技术;在控制样本选择偏差后,参与电商对猕猴桃种植户绿色生产技术采纳有显著的正向影响;参与电商对不同资本禀赋的猕猴桃种植户绿色生产技术采纳的促进效应存在差异;参与电商通过提升产品价格预期、提升经济收益水平、提升信息获取能力、追求正向社会评价四条路径来影响猕猴桃种植户的绿色生产技术采纳。     

政府培训、技术认知与农户生态农业技术采纳行为——以稻虾共养技术为例

[目的]农户作为生态农业技术最直接的采纳者,其对生态农业技术有着独立的选择权,农户是否采纳生态农业技术直接影响到该技术的推广效率。稻虾共养技术实现了水稻种植和小龙虾养殖相协调,该技术符合生态农业技术的要求。因此,文章以稻虾共养技术为例,通过分析江苏省和湖北省稻虾共养技术推广情况,以期提高农户对稻虾共养技术的采纳行为,并重点从政府培训、农户技术认知、农户个体特征、家庭经营特征和社会网络等五方面研究其对农户采纳稻虾共养技术的影响。[方法]运用二元Logistic模型和Bootstrap方法,基于江苏省和湖北省共612份农户的微观调研数据,实证分析了政府培训、技术认知对农户稻虾共养技术采纳行为的影响及其内在作用机制。[结果](1)政府培训次数和政府培训有效性对农户稻虾共养技术采纳行为有显著的正向影响,政府培训及时性对农户稻虾共养技术采纳行为的影响效果不显著;(2)其内在作用机制主要体现在,政府培训有效性可以提高农户技术认知水平,降低其技术应用风险,最终促使农户产生技术采纳行为;(3)户主是否村干部、是否加入合作社等对农户采纳稻虾共养技术有显著的正向影响,而户主年龄和耕地块数对其技术采纳行为有显著的负向影响。[结论]政府培训能够提高农户对生态农业技术的采纳行为,并且政府通过技术培训,可以提高农户对生态农业技术的认知,进而对农户技术采纳行为产生显著的正向影响。     

Risk, uncertainty, and learning in adoption of a crop innovation

Risk and uncertainty have often been suggested as causes of poor adoption of rural innovations, but empirical evidence has been scarce. This study focuses on a new crop‐type, chickpeas, in Western Australia to gather such evidence. The empirical models developed are based on a theoretical framework that conceptualizes adoption as a dynamic decision process involving information acquisition and learning‐by‐doing by growers who vary in their managerial abilities, risk preferences, and their perceptions of the profitability and riskiness of the innovation. Learning encompasses improvements in skill as well as reductions in uncertainty. An annual face‐to‐face survey of over 100 farmers was conducted over 3 years, eliciting the farmers' risk attitudes and their subjective distributions of yields and prices. Two limited dependent variable models, Tobit and Probit, are used to estimate the empirical model. There is a high degree of goodness‐of‐fit for both models. The study provides strong empirical support for the primarily economic character of the adoption decision, and highlight the importance of economic risk in the process. The two risk‐related factors with greatest impact on the adoption decision were risk aversion and relative riskiness of the innovation. Risk aversion tended to reduce adoption, and to do so to a greater extent as relative riskiness and scale increased. Results also reveal the key role that trialing of the innovation plays in adoption.     

互联网使用对农户采纳绿色农业技术的影响研究——基于河北省436个设施蔬菜种植户的调研数据

目的 推广绿色农业技术、强化农业绿色发展的科技支撑是实现农业经济高质量发展的根本要求。方法 文章选择了4项设施蔬菜种植户常用的绿色农业技术（抗病虫抗逆性强的新品种、生物防治、生物农药、水肥一体化）,通过计算互联网使用综合得分,运用有序Probit模型实证分析了互联网使用对农户绿色农业技术采纳强度的影响。进一步,结合工具变量法和条件混合过程估计法（CMP）来克服互联网使用的内生性问题,同时检验了社会网络在互联网影响绿色农业技术采纳过程中的调节效应。结果 互联网使用能够显著提高农户的绿色农业技术采纳强度,互联网使用程度高的农户更倾向于采纳多项绿色农业技术;社会网络在互联网使用影响绿色农业技术采纳行为的过程中具有负向调节作用,在影响农户采纳绿色农业技术的过程中互联网使用能够对社会网络产生替代作用。结论 政府应加快推进农村地区互联网基础设施建设,增加农户使用互联网的可行性和便易性;积极开发公益性的绿色技术知识普及、培训、推广和教学软件,帮助农户认识、接受并采纳绿色农业技术;引导农户使用互联网促进产品销售,实现绿色农产品的优质优价。     

Adoption of New Technologies in Ethiopian Agriculture: The Case of Tegulet-Bulga District,Shoa Province

Adoption of agricultural production technologies in developing countries is influenced by a wide range of economic and social factors as well as physical and technical aspects of farming and the risk attitude of farmers. It is important to understand the role of these factors to ensure the development of appropriate technologies and the design of successful development projects. This study examines the impact of such factors on the adoption of single-ox, fertilizer and pesticide technologies as part of a post-drought recovery project in Tegulet-Bulga district in Ethiopia. Models to evaluate the probability of adoption are specified for the respective technologies and are estimated using a logit maximum likelihood procedure, results indicate that the most significant variable affecting the probability of adoption of all three technologies is farm size; the impact is negative for single-ox technology and positive for fertilizer and pesticide use. Economic factors such as income, wealth and debt generally exhibit statistically significant influence on the adoption of single-ox and pesticide technologies as do family size, access to outside information, education and experience. The effect of socio-economic factors on adoption of fertilizer and pesticide technologies is greater in the area which has more access to outside information and off-farm activities (Ankober) than in more ‘self-contained’ area (Seladengay). The impact of the degree of risk aversion of farmers is found to be significant and negative for single-ox technology in both areas, and for fertilizer and pesticide technologies in only one area. The predicted probabilities of technology adoption by an average farmer are found to increase dramatically with the level of education and access or exposure to outside information.     

采纳生态种养技术对农户脆弱性的影响——以长江中下游地区稻虾共作技术为例

目的 脆弱性是贫困的深层次原因,也是贫困的重要表现,识别和降低农户的脆弱性是解决相对贫困、长效性脱贫问题的关键。方法 文章基于湖北、湖南、安徽3省974份农户调研数据,运用内生转换模型,分析了农户采纳稻虾共作技术对其脆弱性的影响。结果 （1）农户采纳稻虾共作技术能切实降低其脆弱性,采纳该技术的农户较未采纳时脆弱性降低280.659%,未采纳该技术的农户若采纳该技术脆弱性将降低44.255%。（2）非农就业水平在农户技术采纳和脆弱性之间起到正向的调节作用。（3）农户的个体特征、家庭特征、社会服务便利性及村庄特征均会显著影响农户的稻虾共作技术采纳决策和脆弱性。结论 农户采纳稻虾共作技术能有效降低其脆弱性,但随着农户非农就业水平的提高,稻虾户反而更脆弱,因此要完善农技推广机制,健全非农就业保障和帮扶机制,进而发挥稻虾共作技术长效脱贫功效。     

农业社会化服务能促进农户采用亲环境农业技术吗

使用亲环境农业技术是治理农业面源污染、改善耕地质量和提升农业绿色发展程度的重要举措.本文基于农业社会化服务视角,采用农户微观调查数据,利用倾向得分匹配法和mvprobit方法,定量测度了农户购买不同环节的农业社会化服务对其亲环境农业技术采用的影响效应.研究结果表明,农户购买农业社会化服务对其采用亲环境农业技术具有显著促...     

异质性农技培训主体对农户绿色农业技术采纳行为的影响研究

[目的]推广绿色农业技术是缓解生态环境恶化、保障农业高质量发展的重要途径。[方法]文章利用河北省436户设施蔬菜种植户的调研数据,选择5项绿色农业技术（抗病虫抗逆性强的新品种、生物防治、生物菌肥、生物农药和水肥一体化技术）,基于培训主体异质性视角,运用有序Probit模型实证分析公益性和市场性两种不同性质农技培训主体对农户绿色农业技术采纳强度的影响。进一步,基于技术异质性视角,运用二元Probit模型分析两种不同性质主体对农户不同类型绿色农业技术采纳的影响。[结果]（1）农技培训能够显著促进绿色农业技术采纳,其中公益性主体开展的技术培训对农户绿色技术采纳的促进效果更加显著。（2）针对不同绿色农业技术,不同性质主体开展的培训对技术采纳的促进效果存在差异,对商业化程度较高、有用性、易用性、适用性较高的技术（生物防治、生物菌肥和生物农药）,市场性主体的培训对技术采纳的促进作用更强。（3）对于有用性、易用性和适用性不高的技术（抗病虫抗逆性强的新品种和水肥一体化）,公益性主体的培训对技术采纳的促进作用更强。[结论]应加大农业绿色技术培训的普及力度,构建以公益性农技推广机构为主导,其他市场主体为补...     

Sequential Adoption of Site-Specific Technologies and Its Implications for Nitrogen Productivity: A Double Selectivity Model

This paper analyzes the sequential decision to adopt two site-specific technologies, soil testing and variable rate technology, and the impact of adoption on nitrogen productivity. The results indicate that while farm location was a key variable influencing adoption of soil testing, farm size, human capital, and innovativeness of farmers had a significant impact on adoption of variable rate technology in four Midwestern states. A double selectivity model applied to correct for sample selection bias shows that adoption leads to significant gains in nitrogen productivity for farms with below average soil quality but statistically insignificant gains for farms with above average soil quality.