What is technology adoption? Exploring the agricultural research value chain for smallholder farmers in Lao PDR

Alexander, Kim S., Greenhalgh, Garry, Moglia, Magnus, Thephavanh, Manithaythip, Sinavong, Phonevilay, Larson, Silva, Jovanovic, Tom, and Case, Peter (2020) What is technology adoption? Exploring the agricultural research value chain for smallholder farmers in Lao PDR. Agriculture and Human Values, 37. pp. 17-32.

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Abstract

A common and driving assumption in agricultural research is that the introduction of research trials, new practices and innovative technologies will result in technology adoption, and will subsequently generate benefits for farmers and other stakeholders. In Lao PDR, the potential benefits of introduced technologies have not been fully realised by beneficiaries. We report on an analysis of a survey of 735 smallholder farmers in Southern Lao PDR who were questioned about factors that influenced their decisions to adopt new technologies. In this study, we have constructed measures or states of adoption which identify key elements of an adoption decision-making nexus. Analysis was conducted to statistically group explanatory factors of adoption. The key explanatory factors represented attributes of the farmer, the factors considered when undertaking production decisions and elements of the agricultural value chain that present as opportunities or constraints. We describe the combination of farmer's personal attributes, perceptions of the value chain, and the introduction of new technologies by external actors as an "agricultural research value chain", where agricultural research activities intervene to derive greater benefits for local farmers. A generalised linear model, via Poisson (multiple) regression analysis on the identified explanatory factors, was applied to explore how they influence adoption measures and we found several significant relationships.

Item ID: 58513
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1572-8366
Keywords: measures of adoption, agricultural research value chain, adoption, Lao PDR, technologies, innovation, rural development, agricultural development, international development
Copyright Information: © Springer Nature B.V. 2019. In compliance with the publisher's policies, the Author Accepted version of this paper will be available Open Access from ResearchOnline@JCU from 16 June 2020, under a Creative Commons non-commercial no derivatives international license.
Funders: Australian Centre for Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
Projects and Grants: ACIAR ASEM/2014/052
Date Deposited: 05 Oct 2019 04:28
FoR Codes: 35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour > 350705 Innovation management @ 50%
30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3002 Agriculture, land and farm management > 300207 Agricultural systems analysis and modelling @ 50%
SEO Codes: 91 ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK > 9104 Management and Productivity > 910406 Technological and Organisational Innovation @ 100%
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