Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis)
Air pollution, population growth, and the lack of fossil energy sources are critical factors that drive people toward clean and renewable energies in the current century. Biogas is suitable for rural farmers as a source of clean energy. Since there are many social interactions in knowledge exchange...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Sustainable Futures |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188824001205 |
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| author | Nasim Izadi Heshmatollah Saadi Leila Kooshki |
| author_facet | Nasim Izadi Heshmatollah Saadi Leila Kooshki |
| author_sort | Nasim Izadi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Air pollution, population growth, and the lack of fossil energy sources are critical factors that drive people toward clean and renewable energies in the current century. Biogas is suitable for rural farmers as a source of clean energy. Since there are many social interactions in knowledge exchange and sharing, the transfer of skills, and participation among individuals, various actors are involved in the network. The power and influence of actors and the social interactions between smallholder farmers and these actors fuel the development of biogas consumption in rural areas. Therefore, this study analyzes the social network structures and characteristics of various actors by social network analysis (SNA) in knowledge sharing, the transfer of skills, and participation networks among traditional smallholder farmers in Iran. The research sample consisted of some smallholder farmers in four provinces of Fars, Khorasan Razavi, Golestan, and Kermanshah (144 smallholder farmers). The research instrument was a questionnaire designed as a matrix. The findings showed that based on the betweenness centrality score, biogas-consuming smallholder farmers (34.56) and cooperatives of smallholder farmers (24.79) were the main actors in the network of knowledge sharing, respectively. Furthermore, biogas-consuming smallholder farmers (28.04) and pioneer smallholder farmers (27.11) were the main actors in the network of participation, respectively. The betweenness centrality score revealed that cooperatives of smallholder farmers (29.23) and opinion leaders (23.33) were the main actors in the network of skills transfer, respectively. It can be concluded that these actors had high social power and influence among smallholder farmers and can be the core of the smallholder farmers’ social networks. It means that they can influence the development of biogas consumption among Iranian smallholder farmers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dde673219e4f46a29773abcbfffde0f3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2666-1888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainable Futures |
| spelling | doaj-art-dde673219e4f46a29773abcbfffde0f32025-08-20T02:49:41ZengElsevierSustainable Futures2666-18882024-12-01810027110.1016/j.sftr.2024.100271Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis)Nasim Izadi0Heshmatollah Saadi1Leila Kooshki2Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan, IranDepartment of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran; Corresponding author.Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, IranAir pollution, population growth, and the lack of fossil energy sources are critical factors that drive people toward clean and renewable energies in the current century. Biogas is suitable for rural farmers as a source of clean energy. Since there are many social interactions in knowledge exchange and sharing, the transfer of skills, and participation among individuals, various actors are involved in the network. The power and influence of actors and the social interactions between smallholder farmers and these actors fuel the development of biogas consumption in rural areas. Therefore, this study analyzes the social network structures and characteristics of various actors by social network analysis (SNA) in knowledge sharing, the transfer of skills, and participation networks among traditional smallholder farmers in Iran. The research sample consisted of some smallholder farmers in four provinces of Fars, Khorasan Razavi, Golestan, and Kermanshah (144 smallholder farmers). The research instrument was a questionnaire designed as a matrix. The findings showed that based on the betweenness centrality score, biogas-consuming smallholder farmers (34.56) and cooperatives of smallholder farmers (24.79) were the main actors in the network of knowledge sharing, respectively. Furthermore, biogas-consuming smallholder farmers (28.04) and pioneer smallholder farmers (27.11) were the main actors in the network of participation, respectively. The betweenness centrality score revealed that cooperatives of smallholder farmers (29.23) and opinion leaders (23.33) were the main actors in the network of skills transfer, respectively. It can be concluded that these actors had high social power and influence among smallholder farmers and can be the core of the smallholder farmers’ social networks. It means that they can influence the development of biogas consumption among Iranian smallholder farmers.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188824001205BiogasSocial network analysisSocial powerSocial influenceClean EnergySustainable Development |
| spellingShingle | Nasim Izadi Heshmatollah Saadi Leila Kooshki Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis) Sustainable Futures Biogas Social network analysis Social power Social influence Clean Energy Sustainable Development |
| title | Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis) |
| title_full | Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis) |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis) |
| title_short | Analysis of smallholder farmers' dynamics of knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and participation in using biogas (application of social network analysis) |
| title_sort | analysis of smallholder farmers dynamics of knowledge sharing skill transfer and participation in using biogas application of social network analysis |
| topic | Biogas Social network analysis Social power Social influence Clean Energy Sustainable Development |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188824001205 |
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