Title: Modernisation in agriculture: what makes a farmer adopt an innovation?

Authors: Paul Diederen, Hans van Meijl, Arjan Wolters

Addresses: Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI), PO Box 29703, 2502 LS The Hague, The Netherlands. ' Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI), PO Box 29703, 2502 LS The Hague, The Netherlands. ' Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI), PO Box 29703, 2502 LS The Hague, The Netherlands

Abstract: This paper addresses the question of which factors influence a farmer in deciding to adopt an innovation. We differentiate between innovations that are already widely diffused in the sector, innovations that are early in their process of diffusion, and innovations that are entirely new to the farmer|s sector. We use an ordered probit approach to relate adoption behaviour to variables that capture characteristics of the farm (labour and financial resources and market position), of the business environment of the farm (type of production and market, degree of regulation) and of the farmer (access to information, capabilities, preferences). We use data on 865 Dutch farms and find that innovation adoption is positively related to labour resources, market position, access to information and past adoption behaviour, and negatively to solvency and the degree of market regulation.

Keywords: adoption; agriculture; innovation; Netherlands.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2003.003975

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2003 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.328 - 342

Published online: 10 May 2004 *

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