How labor organization affects technological adoption. The Case of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in durian, tangerine and longan production, Thailand.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Volker Beckmann
• Subject Area: Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Sociology
• Term: from 2004 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5434773

Although the adoption of agricultural innovations has been studied frequently, the importance of labor organization has been overlooked so far. Based on a theoretical model developed by the applicants, the aim of the research project is to test the developed hypotheses on labor organization and innovation. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) will be used as a case study, as it is a labor and skill intensitive technology and adoption is likely to be affected by the organization and opportunity costs of labor. In order to test the hypotheses empirically, we will examine the adoption of IPM by farmers who participate in farmer field schools (FFS) in Southeast Asia.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants