Access to information affects the adoption of integrated systems by farmers in Brazil

New agricultural practices, including integrated crop-livestock and/or forestry systems (IS) can reduce greenhouse emissions without compromising food production. Yet adoption rates in many places are low. We investigated the factors affecting the probability of Brazilian farmers adopting an IS. Using data from 3150 farmers across all 26 Brazilian states, we tested the importance of four groups of variables in affecting adoption: farmer characteristics (age and education); farm characteristics (size and feedlot infrastructure); information networks (social networks and extension); and market incentives (export share and environmental risk). A logistic regression model found all eight variables to be statistically significant predictors of IS adoption. The two information network variables had the greatest impacts on IS adoption. This result demonstrates a central role for public agencies like EMBRAPA in developing and communicating new agricultural practices, as well as the role of producer cooperatives and associations in making information about IS technologies available to farmers.

Automated summary

The study found that factors influencing the probability of Brazilian farmers adopting integrated crop-livestock and/or forestry systems (IS) include farmer and farm characteristics, information networks, and market incentives. Information networks had the greatest impact on IS adoption, highlighting the importance of public agencies and producer organizations in promoting new agricultural practices.