Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-hvd4g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-10T11:11:15.296Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Farmers' opinions about third-wave technologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2009

Paul Lasley  and
Gordon Bultena
Paul Lasley
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
Gordon Bultena
Affiliation:
Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
Get access

Abstract

This paper examines farmers' opinions about eight relatively new technologies. Data from a statewide sample of Iowa farmers provide the basis for examining the correlates of support for new technology. Evidence from a series of statewide surveys indicates that farmers are becoming concerned about environmental problems associated with conventional agricultural practices and are interested in alternative production systems. The data show that some new technologies are widely supported among farmers; in other cases farmers expressed considerable hesitancy or opposition to them. This paper draws on previous adoption research to examine the differential support of these technologies among farmers. From this earlier research two sets of variables, personal characteristics and farm characteristics, have been found to be important predictors of farmers' opinions about new technology. The analysis from new data shown here finds generally weak relationships between personal and farm characteristics with level of support for new technologies. Given the generally weak relationships between personal and farm characteristics and support for new technology, the paper argues that other factors need to be included in future research on the adoption of new technology.

Type
Articles
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , Summer 1986 , pp. 122 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Buttel, F. H. 1985. Biotechnology and genetic information: Implications for rural people and the institutions that serve them. The Rural Sociologist (5)2:68–78.Google Scholar
2.Lasley, P. 1983. The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, fall, 1983 Summary. Iowa State University Cooperative Extension Service. Ames, I A. Pm-1130.Google Scholar
3.Lasley, P. 1984. The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, spring, 1984 Summary. Iowa State University Co operative Extension Service. Ames, IA. Pm-1178.Google Scholar
4.Lasley, P. 1985. The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, fall, 1984 Summary. Iowa State University Cooper ative Extension Service. Ames, I A. Pm-1209.Google Scholar
5.Muhm, D. 1986. Successful farming sets Des Moines conference on ag diversification. Des Moines Regis ter. June 11, 1986. p. 5S.Google Scholar
6.Office of Technology Assessment. 1986. Technology, public policy and the changing structure of agriculture. U.S. Congress. OTA-F-285. Washington, DC.Google Scholar
7.Perelman, M. 1977. Farming For Profit in a Hungry World. Allanheld, Osmun. New York, NY.Google Scholar
8.Rogers, E. M. 1983. Diffusion of innovations. 3rd edition, The Free Press, New York, NY.Google Scholar
9.Rural Sociology. 1985. 50 Year Index, 1936–1985, 50:(Winter):1–189.Google Scholar
10.Schertz, L. P. (ed.) 1979. Another revolution in U.S. farming? Economics, Statistics and Cooperative Service. Agricultural Economics Report 441. Washington. DC.Google Scholar
11.U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1979. Structure issues of American agriculture. Economics, Statistics and Cooperative Service, Agricultural Economics Report 438. Washington, DC.Google Scholar
12.U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1981. A time to choose, summary report on the structure of agriculture. Washington, DC.Google Scholar
13.Van Es, J. C. 1985. Bibliography of socioeconomic research on the adoption of soil and water conservation practices. University of Illinois, Department of Agriculture Economics, Urbana-Champaign, IL.Google Scholar
14.Youngberg, I. G. and Buttel, F. H.. 1981. Public Policy and Socio-Political Factors Affecting the Future of Sustainable Systems. In: Organic farming: Current technology and its role in a sustainable agriculture. Proceedings of American Society of Agronomy. Report 46. Atlanta, GA.Google Scholar