Who Cares What Others Think (or Do)? Social Learning and Social Pressures in Cotton Farming in India. (24th April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maertens, Annemie
• Is Part Of: American journal of agricultural economics. Volume 99:Number 4(2017)
• Page Start: 988
• Page End: 1007
• Publication Date: 2017-04-24
• Subjects: Agricultural technology adoption -- India -- social learning -- social pressures; O3 -- Q1; Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; Agriculture -- Periodicals; 338.105
• DOI: 10.1093/ajae/aaw098
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-9092

Abstract

Abstract: This paper examines the role that social networks play in the adoption process of Bacillus thurigiensis (Bt) cotton, a type of genetically engineered cotton that has been available on the Indian market since 2002. Using a unique dataset and empirical methodology, I find that farmers appeared to have exclusively learned from the experimentation of a small set of "progressive" farmers in the village, that is, adoption by other ("regular") farmers was not considered a useful source of information about the technology. Second, I find evidence of social pressures, originating from the belief that Bt cotton might be hazardous to the environment and livestock, which inhibited adoption, at least for some time.