Diffusion of innovations model for agricultural and forest landowners

Diffusion of Innovations is a theoretical model appropriate for understanding decision-making by private landowners related to decisions about land use management. This model has been used to classify individuals by how quickly they adopt new ideas, such as conservation practices. Agricultural and forest landowners in Indiana were studied through mail and web-based questionnaires to assess their adoption of conservation programs and information technologies. Early adopters were defined as landowners who have participated in at least one conservation program, while later adopters represented those who have not yet enrolled in programs. Sources of information about land use and influence of social networks were compared across program participants and non-participants in each landowner group. Forest and agricultural landowners participated in different types of conservation programs. Agricultural respondents noted more federal program involvement, such as the CRP, and forest respondents were more likely to participate in the Indiana Classified programs. Participation was predicted by use of non-local social network contacts, such as extension and other government agency personnel. Non-participants were predicted by local social network contacts, such as family and friends; however, contrary to expectations, they also used non-local and formal social networks. Overall, program participants and non-participants could not be differentiated from use of information technologies (IT), such as electronic mail and web browsers. Only when landowner groups were reorganized into pure agriculture, mixed agriculture and forestry, and pure forestry, was there a trend in increasing use of Internet technologies, with purely forest landowners the most involved in using IT. These electronic information technologies add a new component to Diffusion of Innovations models. Unlike other innovations, they are becoming more available to individuals across socioeconomic strata and have implications for understanding transfer of information across formal and informal social networks. These evolving communication tools require ongoing research to determine how they will affect the exchange of information through social networks. Information technologies provide strategic areas for natural resource management agencies to communicate information about conservation. Future research can continue to assess the potential impact of information technologies for encouraging landowner decision-making consistent with society\u27s sustainability goals