Adoption of agricultural technology: developments in agro-socio-economic thought (Hybrid maize and hybrid sorghum, 1928-1941, Green Revolution, markets, income distribution, U.S.)
Phase 2, INTERPAKS, The evolution of socio-economic thought concerning the diffusion of innovations started with a debate about the relative importance of social and economic factors in the adoption of hybrid corn and hybrid sorghum in the United States during the 1928-1941 period. Sociologists and economists agreed that an array of factors, not too well understood, and varying from one farm and farm area to another, stimulate adoption. The literature on the Green Revolution of the 1960's added new dimensions to the debate by considering not only adoption and production, but a host of other conditions such as markets and income distribution. The very nature of the adoption process tends to favor early adopters with favorable social and economic characteristics. Those less fortunate fall behind because they are unable to assume the added production costs and the risks associated with the potentially higher returns from the new technology. These new findings point to the necessity of formulating technological packages based on integrated socio-economic research where the entire decision environment of the farmer is considered.
