FARINOS DASI, JOAQUIN; PHD
UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA (SPAIN), 1992
GEOGRAPHY (0366)
The aim of this doctoral thesis was to examine the mechanisms through which
innovations within
Valencian agriculture are generated, transferred and diffused, trying also to
recognize the main problems
in adoption, where they are, and possible solutions. An analysis was planned
that includes both typical
elements of innovation diffusion interpretation from adoption perspective, and
other more recent
elements from the market and infrastructure view. The first are considered by
rural sociologists and
geographers such as Rogers or Hagerstrand; the latter are presented by economists
(Griliches) or more
recently by geographers (Brown). The methodology chosen to reach these objectives
was qualitative,
through personal interviews between subjects of analysis who were representative
of each group
studied (all who take part in the innovation diffusion process). The main conclusions
are: The most
important faults in innovation diffusion processes are in the technological
transfer stage. The reason is
the poor participation of farms in R+D activities, related to other problems
such as their economic
dimension or the deficient level of formation and training of farmers. Diffusion
processes are, however,
very fast because of imitation. Personal decision has little importance, but
information about innovation or
innovations themselves are readily available. For this reason, the disposal
of some infrastructure, overall
private or for profit, is very important to the model: a diffusion model similar
to the one that Hagerstrand
established for consumer innovations within a system of cities, because of the
importance of commercial
agriculture in development of Valencian city system.
Social
Systems Simulation Group
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