Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Demonstration Models on Agricultural Climate-Smart Technology Adoption: Evidence from China’s Cotton Farmers

Lu Cai, Zhenggui Zhang, Shaohua Mao, Jamshed Azimov, Nilupaier Yusufujiang, Yaopeng Zhang, Rusheng Bi, Lin Wang, Zhanbiao Wang () and Lei Gao ()
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Lu Cai: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Zhenggui Zhang: Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Crop Gene Editing and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Western Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
Shaohua Mao: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Jamshed Azimov: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Nilupaier Yusufujiang: Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Crop Gene Editing and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Western Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
Yaopeng Zhang: Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Crop Gene Editing and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Western Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
Rusheng Bi: Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Crop Gene Editing and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Western Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
Lin Wang: Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Crop Gene Editing and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Western Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
Zhanbiao Wang: Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Crop Gene Editing and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Western Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
Lei Gao: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-28

Abstract: Amid escalating global climate challenges and the accelerating transition toward low-carbon agriculture, the effective diffusion of climate-smart technologies (CSTs) has become a critical pathway to achieving sustainable agricultural development. This study focuses on cotton farmers in Xinjiang and draws on micro-level survey data from 504 respondents to construct an analytical framework of “demonstration–cognition–adoption”. It systematically examines the impact pathways and mediating mechanisms of different demonstration models. The findings reveal that technology demonstration indirectly influences farmers’ adoption of CSTs by shaping their cognitive perceptions, with perceived operational utility emerging as the most critical mediating mechanism in the entire technology dissemination chain. Among current extension models, government-led demonstrations play a central role, while the effectiveness of enterprise-led demonstrations hinges on brand credibility and service quality. Moreover, the ease of operation of a technology outweighs its economic returns in determining adoption outcomes, and farmers exhibit significant heterogeneity in their responses to different demonstration types. Based on these insights, the study recommends the development of a stratified and differentiated dissemination strategy, the strengthening of government-led demonstration functions, the promotion of standardized enterprise participation, and the enhancement of both farmers’ cognitive understanding and technology fit to enable broader and higher-quality adoption of climate-smart technologies.

Keywords: climate-smart technologies; technology demonstration; technology cognition; technology adoption; mediating mechanisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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