Maertens, Annemie (2017) Who cares what others think (or do)? Social learning and social pressures in cotton farming in India. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 99 (4). pp. 988-1007. ISSN 0002-9092

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Business, Management and Economics > Economics
Subjects:	H Social Sciences
Related URLs:	http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/xH0o2iqy...
Depositing User:	Annemie Maertens
Date Deposited:	31 Aug 2016 14:27
Last Modified:	25 Jan 2018 10:47
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/63065

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