ACCEPTANCE AND ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURE

Abstract

There is a need for transition towards sustainability in agriculture and food systems. New technologies and innovations can play a central role in improving agriculture productivity and sustainability. However, there is still a gap in understanding the factors that determine the acceptance and adoption of technologies in agriculture. Therefore, this review provides an overview on the main models and theories on the acceptance, adoption, use and/or diffusion of technologies. The most prominent theories and models include the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Technology Acceptance Model, the Motivational Model, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Innovation Diffusion Theory, the Social Cognitive Theory, the Social Construction of Technology, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Furthermore, different combinations of these models have been used in technology adoption studies. These conceptual approaches and models span across disciplines (e.g. sociology, psychology, innovation, management) and differ in terms of theoretical assumptions, goals, variables and assessment methods. Factors determining the acceptance and use of technologies in agriculture are related to the technology itself and the ease of its use as well as social (age, gender), emotional, attitudinal and cognitive factors. Technology adoption is also affected by the environment and context in which it takes place. Technology acceptance models make use of predictors that are cognitive or relating to attitude, beliefs or perceptions. Some of the models focus on internal factors, such as antecedents of behaviour (e.g. values, attitudes, intentions), while others also address external issues (e.g. social norms, economic incentives, institutional environment). The framing of technology adoption within the wider Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) offers interesting opportunities for fostering transition towards sustainability in agriculture. Indeed, technologies are just one component of AKIS and innovation in agriculture also encompasses social, organizational, marketing and institutional fields.