Considering Structural, Individual and Social Network Explanations for Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture: An Example Drawn from Washington State Wheat Growers

Raymond A. Jussaume and Leland Glenna
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Raymond A. Jussaume: Department of Community and Rural Sociology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4006, USA
Leland Glenna: Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA

Sustainability, 2009, vol. 1, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: As acceptance of the concept of agricultural sustainability has grown, it has become increasingly recognized that notions of sustainability and how to promote it will necessarily vary depending on the commodity in question. It thus becomes important to investigate how movements towards sustainability are emerging for different commodities. The objective of our paper is to present the results of an analysis of Washington wheat producers that investigates the degree to which interest in sustainability exists amongst those farmers and whether structural factors and farmer personal characteristics are more or less significant than social network factors in explaining farmers’ views of possible sustainable methods. Our findings indicate that a measure indicating use of local social networks to gain information is associated with a higher degree of interest in new production methods aimed at improving agricultural sustainability.

Keywords: Agricultural Sustainability; Social Networks; Alternative; Wheat (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:1:y:2009:i:2:p:120-132:d:4620

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