Social network effects on the adoption of agroforestry species: Preliminary results of a study on differences on adoption patterns in Southern Ecuador

Abstract

A case study in South Ecuador serves as an example to understand the dynamics of adoption of agroforestry species. Qualitative research shows that there are potential differences in adoption between two ethnic groups. The adoption rate of Saraguro communal leaders may be an indicator of lower contagion than Mestizo-colonos. Thus, we propose a heterogeneous diffusion model that addresses network exposure effects and a generalized blockmodel for relational data analysis. We hypothesize that Mestizo-colonos have higher adoption rate than Saraguros. The Saraguro indigenous group may have lower access to the information necessary for the adoption of the innovation than Mestizo-Colonos.