Unraveling Innovation Networks in Conservation Agriculture Using Social Network Analysis

During the last decades, agriculture has focused on developing more sustainable forms of land use while promoting food productivity. To face these challenges, conservation agriculture (CA), which is based on minimal soil disturbance, mulching of crop residues, and crop rotation, has been promoted as an ecosystem approach to sustainable agriculture. Using social network analysis (SNA) methods, we analyzed the adoption patterns of CA practices among 222 maize smallholder farmers in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Our findings suggest that, in the process of adopting CA practices, farmers make interrelated decisions based on network and individual attributes, rather than accepting top-down transfers, as usually promoted by institutions. The role of extension agents and other farmers is crucial for innovation dissemination, given that farmers learn different practices from different sources. This points to the need to strengthen participatory methods and promote sustainability in agriculture, rather than apply the usual hierarchical mechanisms in the innovation dissemination process.