Technology Adoption and Extension Strategies in Mediterranean Agriculture: The Case of Family Farms in Chile

Abstract

Extension services play a crucial role by improving skills and access to information that result in greater farm level innovations, especially on family farms which are the predominant form of agriculture in the world. This study analyzed the connection between strategies implemented by extension services and technology adoption on family farms. Using the case of the Servicio de Asesoría Técnica (SAT) Program, we developed a bottom-up adoption index (AI) for vegetable and berry farmers in three regions of Central Chile. We implemented 10 focus groups totaling 101 participants, all recipients of technical assistance from private extension companies (PECs) funded by the SAT Program. After the focus group sessions, we surveyed participating farmers to gather information on socio-economic attributes and adopted technologies. Using cluster analysis, we identified three groups of farmers according to their adoption intensity. The results indicate that extension strategies used by PECs have distinct effects on the adoption of new technologies. Higher adoption indexes were positively associated with the duration of the extension visits, the number of group activities, and the use of incentives and credits provided by the Chilean government. The value of production and farm size were positively associated with adoption intensity.

Production efficiency and change characteristics of China’s apple industry in terms of planting scale

“…The production efficiency and scale of apples in different provinces are different in different years. To explore the specific influence and connection, this study uses DEAP2.1 software [33][34][35][36] to calculate the total factor production efficiency of seven provinces and cities from 2008-2018. In addition, when using the DEA method for measurement, the dynamic change in the total factor production efficiency of each province is analyzed, and the analysis method also further measures the technical progress and technical efficiency of each province.…”

“…In other words, production efficiency and scale can develop on a certain scale. According to one study, seven Chinese apple-producing areas can undergo moderate-scale cultivation [34,35], namely land circulation dispersal, fragmentation of land circulation to apple operation at large, professional cooperatives, and other ways to realize centralized management. All of these can produce the scale effect and improve the efficiency of apple production.…”

Citrus Farmers Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture Practices and Its Determinants in the Jordan Valley: The Case of Northern Ghor

“…The many services provided by extension agents are essential to motivate farmers to innovate and guide them in their implementation, especially in developing rural agriculture in underdeveloped economies due to the high rates of poverty and illiteracy there. Rojas et al (2020), Timprasert et al (2014), and Kassie et al (2013) revealed a clear positive association between access to and/or visits to extension agents and adoption of SAPs. Many studies detect that creating farmer networks, participation in training courses are influential factors in the adoption of SAPs (Kassie et al, 2013;Timprasert et al, 2014).…”

Farmer, Learning and Teaching: a Cluster Analysis of Technology Adopters in Avocado Farming in Colombia

“…There have been several studies on the factors influencing technology adoption of new or improved technologies and practices in relation to grower characteristics, method of information transfer, attitudes and kind of technology (Kumar et al, 2018;Martínez-garcía et al, 2016). Adoption is often approached from a technology push perspective and is judged in terms of a scale ranging from "innovators," "early adopters," "late adopters," to "laggards (Valente, 1996); however, these farmers scales can also be associated with the potential effect of a new technology depends on whether farmers adopt it and, if they do, whether the adoption is to the extent that it can deliver results in a certain period of time (Jara-Rojas et al, 2020).…”