Abstract
Innovative technologies are expected to play a significant role in climate change mitigation and adaptation within the agriculture sector and in global food security. Clearly, however, the value of technological innovations in the agriculture sector is premised on their adoption. Therefore, understanding why farmers differ in their adoption of innovative green technologies is important. In the following paper, we review current literature and set the theoretical framework for suggesting that three important personal resources correlate with agricultural technology adoption: positive emotions, character strengths (including specific ones), and cognitive goal-oriented hope. This study constitutes an important theoretical basis for future practical recommendations for environmental policy, positive psychology, and innovation adoption that may help narrow some of the gaps in technology adoption rates. In addition to its theoretical innovation, the importance of this study lies in its practical value: we focus on variables that are influenced through policy, education, and communication. The theoretical connections between positive psychology and environmental studies emerging from this study should be developed and explored. We hope that this new perspective will motivate future research on these factors within diverse farming communities across different nations.
Highlights
Agriculture plays a central role in the discussion of climate change mitigation and adaptation for several reasons [1]
A comprehensive literature review sets the theoretical grounds for suggesting that three important personal resources are correlated with technology adoption: positive emotions, character strengths, and cognitive goal-oriented hope
Most studies of technological innovation adoption focus on socio-economic explanatory factors, providing only partial explanations and leaving many dynamics unexplained and unaccounted for
Summary
Rogers and Shoemaker [12,13] define innovativeness as the degree to which an individual is relatively early to adopt an idea. Even when farmers learn of the possible benefits of the technology, some lack trust that the novel technology will perform as it is alleged to [28] Another factor affecting adoption rate involves farmers’ culture [29] and attachment to current farming practices. Given the gap in the current literature and the lack of a comprehensive analysis of factors affecting decision-making processes regarding adoption of technology, we proceed to propose our theoretical analysis of important missing components in the understanding of innovation adoption by farmers. We explain why the theory on technology adoption could benefit substantially from including personal resource aspects, which remain generally overlooked in the adoption research and have not yet been studied as explanatory factors for agricultural innovation adoption. In contrast to socio-economic factors, which usually remain constant and difficult to change, we suggest a focus on malleable factors that may be influenced through policy tools and education; therein rests the promise of this approach
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