Farmers' perceptions of agrarian change in north-west Portugal
1985; Elsevier BV; Volume: 1; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0743-0167(85)90046-4
ISSN1873-1392
Autores Tópico(s)Cooperative Studies and Economics
ResumoGeographers have consistently failed to analyse the perceptions of the inhabitants of rural areas, and in particular farmers' views of agrarian change. This paper analyses the perceptions of farmers in the agricultural region of Entre-Douro e Minho in north-west Portugal. Six villages with contrasting levels of innovation adoption were studied in 1983, and it is shown that there are major differences in the perceptions of farmers within these different parts of the region. These differences cannot be explained simply in terms of the age, tenure and education of the farmers, and it seems that the activities of rural extension officers, the general nature of the ‘place’ of each village, and its accessibility play important roles in influencing the perceptions of the farmers. Above all, it illustrates that, rather than being traditional and conservative, many of the farmers of north-west Portugal are keen to adopt new farming techniques.
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