Diffusion and Adoption: Factors Impacting Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Abstract

Managing natural resources, and at the same time increasing productivity in agriculture, is the thrust of research and extension all over the world. Achieving long-term food security without depleting natural resources can be achieved by adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Sustainable agricultural practices, or agriculture per se, seek the wider adoption of practices that are ecologically sound and maintain the long-term ecological and biological integrity of natural resources. Sustainable practices in agriculture include integrated pest management, integrated nutrient management, soil conservation and water management, among others. Much of the dynamics of the diffusion process of sustainable agricultural practices, for adoption or rejection of these practices, can be analysed and understood on the basis of sound understanding of diffusion and adoption theory. The diffusion researchers have mostly analysed farmers’ differences in analysing adoption or rejection of innovation/technology. Very little attention has been paid to technology attributes or technology inappropriateness. In this chapter, we have analysed factors impacting diffusion and adoption of sustainable natural resource management practices in agriculture and different models that can be employed to predict adoption or rejection, in future times. The researchers involved in an innovation development process should consider factors propelling adoption or rejection before commercialisation of a technology. Diffusion researchers need to employ alternative field experimental before-after designs, in which data are gathered at different points in time rather than post hoc data collection, to overcome farmer blame and pro-technology biases. We are of the firm belief that diffusion of innovation research must be given full recognition by research and development, and change agencies involved in agricultural sciences.