Overcoming Barriers To Agriculture Green Technology .
International Journal ofEnvironmental Researchand Public HealthArticleOvercoming Barriers to Agriculture GreenTechnology Diffusion through Stakeholders in China:A Social Network AnalysisWenke Wang 1,2 , Jue Wang 1 , Kebei Liu 1 and Yenchun Jim Wu 3,4, *1234*Business School, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China; wangwk@sicnu.edu.cn (W.W.);2017190342@stu.sicnu.edu.cn (J.W.); 2018190920@stu.sicnu.edu.cn (K.L.)Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Sci-tech Finance and Mathematical Finance, Sichuan University,Chengdu 610064, ChinaGraduate Institute of Global Business and Strategy, National Taiwan Normal University,Taipei 106, TaiwanCollege of Management, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei 106, TaiwanCorrespondence: ycwu@ntnu.edu.tw or wuyenchun@gmail.comReceived: 22 August 2020; Accepted: 23 September 2020; Published: 24 September 2020 Abstract: It is crucial to actively encourage the development of agriculture green technology,which has been regarded as one of the most effective solutions to the environmental degradationcaused by agricultural activities. However, agriculture green technology diffusion is indeed achallenging task and still faces numerous barriers. The stakeholders who can potentially dealwith these barriers, however, have been overlooked by previous studies. To address these issues,social network analysis was performed to identify critical stakeholders and barriers. Their interactionsin agriculture green technology diffusion were analyzed based on the literature, a questionnairesurvey and expert judgments. A two-mode network and two one-mode networks were used toanalyze the relationships among the identified 12 barriers and 14 stakeholders who can influence these12 barriers identified. The results show that agricultural research institutes, universities, agribusiness,agencies of township promotion, the government and farmers’ relatives are key stakeholders andthat the limited market demand for green technology and the high cost of its diffusion are twomain barriers. However, poor green technology operability and farmer families in distress are factorsthat are not as important as previously perceived. Finally, some recommendations and suggestionsare provided to promote agriculture green technology diffusion in China.Keywords: agriculture green technology diffusion; stakeholders; social network analysis; barriers1. IntroductionWith the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, China has experienced rapiddevelopment of agriculture and realized socialized etiquette and civility, effective governanceand prosperous life. However, agriculture is the second-largest contributor to greenhousegas emissions. To a large extent, its high-energy-consuming production technology has causedvarious environmental problems, which have greatly affected the development of agriculture [1].Therefore, many scholars have conducted research related to this subject, and their results haveshown that green technology can help reduce resource consumption and environmental pollution,while optimizing output [2]. Agricultural green technology aims to produce safe, pollution-free,high-quality, nutritious and green agricultural products. It is a group of technologies composed ofmultiple sub-technologies, including those related to pre-production (new variety of technology),mid-production (formula fertilization by soil testing, biological control technology of plant diseasesInt. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 6976; rph
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 69762 of 22and pests) and post-production (straw recycling technology). The diffusion of these technologies is anecessary condition for realizing food safety, and it provides the foundation and guarantee for thedevelopment of green agriculture [3]. Agriculture green technology can be adopted throughout theentire process of production, development and use of agricultural products. In recent years, developingcountries have attached great importance to the development of agriculture green technology, which haspromoted the creation of a green environment [4].As a result of the numerous sustainable benefits of agriculture green technology, many governmentsand organizations have taken measures to promote its diffusion and adoption. However, it is still achallenging task. Based on the experience of diffusing green agricultural technology—such as greenpest control, soil nutrient management (such as soil testing formula technology), conservation tillageand precision agriculture—it has been concluded that, even if a technology is useful, there are differentfactors that limit its effectiveness [5]. In research on the diffusion of agricultural technology, factors thatinhibit its diffusion include uncertainty, information asymmetry, the number of adopters, land transferand the credibility and authority of policymakers [6]. Lambrecht et al. analyzed the process ofagricultural technology diffusion in eastern Congo, which showed that only 13% of farmers withan awareness of new technology adoption were willing to try it, and as many as 70% of farmerswho tried a new technology were willing to continue using it [7]. To promote the diffusion andadoption of green technology, scholars have conducted many studies from different perspectives.These studies include (1) the impact of individual characteristics of farmers on the adoption ofagriculture green technology [8]; (2) the impact of household resource endowment on the adoptionof agriculture green technology [9]; (3) the impact of green agriculture promotion systems on theadoption of agriculture green technology [10]; and (4) the impact of economic risks on the adoptionof agriculture green technology [11]. These studies have provided valuable information and ideasto guide developing countries in formulating policies that promote the diffusion and adoption ofagriculture green technology.In the process of promoting the diffusion of agriculture green technology, stakeholders playa vital role. Collaboration among stakeholders is an important step and integral in promotingthe diffusion of agriculture green technology [4]. However, previous studies have overlookedstakeholder collaboration as a key to promoting agriculture green technology diffusion. The diffusionof agriculture green technology is increasingly influenced by diverse stakeholders due to factors suchas farmers’ demand, public pressure, market and supply chain pressure and government policies.Only the effective interaction of multiple stakeholders can promote the diffusion of agriculture greentechnology and improve the overall environmental performance. The organization, developmentand implementation of agriculture green technology diffusion require stakeholders to have innermotivation to stimulate the development of innovative diffusion activities. Inner motivation ismainly derived from objectives, diffusion capabilities and the diffusion power of stakeholders [12].However, driven by self-interest, stakeholders may invest resources in individual goals, rather thancollective needs. If serious consequences occur, stakeholders tend to shirk responsibility and passit on to others [13]. Therefore, problems related to the process of green technology diffusion aremainly caused by insufficient collaboration among stakeholders [14]. To build effective collaborationamong stakeholders in the diffusion of agriculture green technology, it is necessary to understandthe power of each stakeholder to remove barriers. Power reflects the abilities of stakeholders toovercome specific barriers. Stakeholders with a high degree of power should be primarily responsiblefor related barriers [12]. Otherwise, conflicts may arise between stakeholders due to a mismatch ofpower and responsibility. Stakeholders should actively assume relevant responsibilities according totheir power and abilities, which is a prerequisite for effective stakeholder collaboration in agriculturegreen technology diffusion.At present, a limited amount of research has been conducted on stakeholder collaboration in thediffusion of agriculture green technology and the removal of barriers to diffusion by stakeholders.Researchers and practitioners agree that the diffusion of agriculture green technology is more complex
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 69763 of 22and challenging because agriculture is “traditionally very conservative” and changes slowly. Therefore,it is of vital importance to clearly identify the relationship between stakeholders and diffusionbarriers and identify crucial factors that affect the diffusion. In order to fill the gap in this aspect,this paper first analyzes barriers to the diffusion of agriculture green technology from the perspectiveof stakeholders. Then, a comprehensive analysis of stakeholders and barriers is provided, and theirimpact on the diffusion of agriculture green technology is quantified through the social network analysis(SNA) method. Finally, the relationship between different stakeholders and barriers is explored, and keystakeholders and barriers, as well as their impact, are also identified. To the best of our knowledge,this paper fills gaps in previous studies on green agriculture, which have rarely involved therelationship between different stakeholders and barriers. In our research, in contrast to traditional socialnetwork analysis, the one-mode network analysis examines the internal relationship in the same groupof entities, while the two-mode network analysis explores the relationship between two different groups.The results of these analyses reveal interlinked stakeholders through the barriers they can jointlyaddress and interlinked barriers through the stakeholders who have the power to influence them.Furthermore, the analysis of barrier factors from the perspective of stakeholders provides a usefulreference for future research. In the process of agriculture green technology diffusion, the relationshipbetween barriers and stakeholders, as well as the network characteristics of stakeholder collaboration,can be understood through this network model, and the cooperative relationship between stakeholderswho overcome these barriers is also determined. Innovative viewpoints in this research can guidestakeholders to make correct decisions. This research not only enriches the theory of agriculture greentechnology diffusion and adoption but also provides insights into how China can effectively promote itand thereby facilitate agriculture development.The rest of the paper is structured as follows: Section 2 reviews barriers to the diffusion ofagriculture green technology and the related stakeholders, and Section 3 introduces social networkanalysis and the research methods adopted. Section 4 reports the research results and relatedindicator analysis, and Section 5 presents a discussion of related research. The conclusions andlimitations of this study and future research directions are described in Section 6.2. Literature Review2.1. Barriers to the Diffusion of Agriculture Green TechnologyThe diffusion of green technologies refers to the process in which the source of innovationdisseminates innovative green technologies among individuals and diffuses them throughout all ofsociety [15]. It is a process in which new agricultural technologies, inventions and results are widelyadopted by farmers over a certain period of time and by several channels, after going through thestages of cognition, decision-making, participation and implementation and acknowledgment [4].The diffusion of agriculture green technology not only drives the spreading efficiency of generaltechnological innovation but also purposefully integrates human technological innovation activitiesinto the natural ecological cycle. As a result, it will not only increase the income of farmers but willalso reduce the damage to the environment caused by current agricultural technologies and protectnatural resources to a certain extent [16]. However, agriculture green technologies are developing anddiffusing slowly [17].At present, excessive consumption of the Earth’s resources, a deteriorating environment andsevere ecological damage have led to an increasing demand for agriculture green technology [2].Although increasing importance has been attached to the development of green agriculture, and greatefforts have been made to promote green technologies, problems still arise during the diffusion processand need to be resolved. Drawing on previous research, this paper systematically analyzes the contentof the literature and determines corresponding barriers [18]. First, related journals and conferencearticles were searched in the databases of “Web of Science”, “Compendex Engineering Village”,ASCE library and CNKI, using keywords such as “barrier”, “green”, “agriculture green technology”,
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 69764 of 22“agriculture technology”, “eco-friendly technology” and “ecological technology”. By reviewing theabstracts and conclusions, the articles that met relevant requirements were assessed to determine theirrelevance to this study. When the objectives were identified, a content analysis was performed basedon the TOE (technology–organization–environment) framework, which has been widely applied in thetechnology acceptance field [19]. Taking the various barriers that affect agriculture green technology asthe research object, we identified and analyzed barriers to the diffusion of green technologies in termsof technology, organization and the environment.2.1.1. Technological BarriersThe speed and effect of the diffusion of agriculture technologies are closely related to their nature.Currently, developing countries are putting more effort into innovating single agriculture technologies,while having relatively few supporting technical achievements and lacking effective technologicalsupport [10]. Therefore, it is difficult for them to adapt to the requirements of the development ofgreen agriculture. This is also one of the important reasons that the diffusion of green technologiesis difficult. As a result of the uncertainty and market risk of green technologies, many small andmedium-sized enterprises are reluctant to make the investment in this field, which leads to insufficientinvestment in scientific research [20]. Insufficient technological innovation has led to a shortage in thesupply of agriculture green technology.During the diffusion of agriculture green technology, quite a few technology research institutes,limited by their own problems [21], do not have a comprehensive and in-depth understandingof the application of agriculture green technology, such as scarce scientific and technologicalresources, serious brain drain on green technologies and less tightly-bounded integration of industry,education and research. As a result, current technologies cannot meet market demand, and the diffusionof agriculture green technology faces difficulties. Furthermore, the level of informatization in greentechnologies also affects the spread of agriculture green technology [22]. In rural regions, geographic andinformation barriers make the channels through which farmers can obtain agriculture green technologyrelatively unidimensional. In addition, the poor applicability of present agriculture green technologyand high diffusion costs have further impeded the spread of agriculture green technology.2.1.2. Organization BarriersThe diffusion of agriculture green technology involves the active organization and participationof different stakeholders. Decisions made by enterprises and governments are of great significance tothe spread of agriculture green technology. Relevant policies under implementation lack substantivesupporting policies that could effectively promote the diffusion of green technologies [23], which hasled to incomplete systems of research and science and promotion. Moreover, they face problems such asthe disconnection between technology and production, rigid mechanisms and insufficient guarantees,so they cannot realize the development of modernized green agriculture. The diffusion of agriculturegreen technology will be seriously hindered by inadequate government policies and measures andpoor organization [24].Demonstration, application and promotion by agriculture technology workers are needed totransform agriculture green technology into productivity. As the work to promote agriculturetechnologies is not fully implemented by the associated government departments, promotion personnelhave not received complete training in promoting agriculture green technology or in providing thenecessary education. As a result of the aging of knowledge and a low level of personnel quality,farmers could not receive adequate technical guidance and technological upgrades, which willhave an influence on the diffusion of agriculture green technology [25]. Moreover, as the farmersthemselves have a low level of literacy, they are not capable of recognizing and applying agriculturegreen technology. This will further restrict farmers from using emerging agriculture green technologyand restrain the spread of agriculture green technology [26].
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 69765 of 222.1.3. Social and Market BarriersDeveloping countries are still lagging behind in the market of agriculture green technology. On theone hand, farmers in these regions have a relatively low level of literacy [27]. They are conservative,show little interest in new technologies and new things, have a poor capability of acceptance andwant to avoid all the associated risks. Therefore, they are skeptical of agriculture green technology,thus reducing their need in this regard [28].The diffusion of agriculture green technology is also subject to the market environment.Great market risks and uncertainties in the innovation of agriculture green technology [29] make it hardto achieve a return on investment, thus making it difficult to obtain investment from financial institutions.Meanwhile, changes in farmers’ preferences and reference groups, such as farmer households andfamily members, as well as market factors, have also influenced the adoption and diffusion of agriculturegreen technology. Familiarity with the product and the brand effect are key factors that influence thediffusion of agriculture green technology [30].2.2. Necessity of Research on StakeholdersWith the transition of stakeholder theory from the dyadic perspective to the network perspective,cooperation among stakeholders has become a new goal in the field of stakeholder management [31].Stakeholder cooperation means that a group of self-governing stakeholders take actions and makedecisions on related issues by using shared rules and standards [32]. Factors such as conflict of interest,different opinions and complicated relations will impede cooperation [33]. A good collaboration ofinterest and relationships among stakeholders is helpful for achieving full integration and optimizationof resources so as to realize successful coordination among stakeholders.Power is one of the most salient attributes of stakeholders [34]. Power means the ability of socialactors to change others’ behaviors, so as to achieve their own objectives, regardless of opposition [35].The power of stakeholders depends on a number of factors, such as the resources that they own [13] andtheir personal attributes and social status [36]. During their collaboration, stakeholders who have themost important resources will have more power [34]. Furthermore, the social network also highlightsthe strength of the structural positions of stakeholders [37], and the resources of stakeholders interactwith their network positions. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the power of stakeholders andto determine their positions and relationships in the collaboration network, their attributes and theresources that th
of stakeholders. Then, a comprehensive analysis of stakeholders and barriers is provided, and their impact on the di usion of agriculture green technology is quantified through the social network analysis (SNA) method. Finally, the relationship betwee
Overcoming barriers to the positive development and engagement of ethno-racial minority youth in Canada. Page 1 1. INTRODUCTION This paper explores the dynamics behind and ways of overcoming barriers to the community, school, and civic participation and engagement of immigrant and Canadian-born ethno-racial minority youth
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION Main Key Point of barriers to effective communication The ideas and massage have to reach from the transmitter to receive in the same sense. If it does not happen, it is on account of barriers to communication. Main Key Point of barriers can be
Structural Tune-Ups: The Enterprise Marketer's Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Market 5 The Barriers to Market A profitable enterprise is a well-oiled machine, operating with the utmost efficiency and expanding year after year. Getting there, however, is a demanding experience that requires enterprises to focus on the internal systems,
Let’s build a smarter planet: Green & Beyond An opportunity for smarter organizations to find the value in ‘green’. Lower costs while overcoming operational Strengthen reputations while meeting Create products and overcoming operational services that give rise barriers. while meeting regulations. services that give rise to new markets.
The Barriers to Employment Success Video is designed to be used as either a companion to the Overcoming Barriers to Employment Success workbook or as a stand-alone . All barriers to employment come from factors outside of us that we can’t control. 5. Healthy eating habits and daily exercise can help to combat stress.
and qualitative benefits of green roof and vertical garden technologies, examines barriers to their more rapid diffusion into Canadian markets and makes recommendations on overcoming these barriers. Green Roofs and Vertical Gardens There are t
Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development Human Development Report 2009 Jeni Klugman Director, HDRO Eighth Coordination Meeting on International Migration
Water Jet Machining & Abrasive Water Jet Machining Peiman Mosaddegh, Ph.D. Isfahan University of Technology Fall 2020. Peiman Mosaddegh –Non-traditional Machining Department of Mechanical Engineering راشفاب کیراب یارجم اب لزان زا یا هدش لرتنک هتسیپ ریسم زا شرب رازبا نانع هب بآ ،شر نیا رد دام هارمه هب بآ ای .
