The role of the social network structure on the spread of intensive agriculture: an example from Navarre, Spain

• Published in: Regional environmental change Vol. 20; no. 3
• Main Authors: Albizua, Amaia, Bennett, Elena, Pascual, Unai, Larocque, Guillaume
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural industry; Agricultural land; Agricultural practices; Analysis; Climate Change; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Decision making; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Farm management; Farmers; Financial management; Geography; Intensive farming; Land management; Landscape; Nature Conservation; Network analysis; Oceanography; Original Article; Regional/Spatial Science; Resource management; Rural communities; Social conditions; Social interactions; Social networks; Social organization; Spain; Land management; Sustainability; Knowledge sharing; Agriculture; Agrarian landscapes; Resources; Social network structure
• ISSN: 1436-3798; 1436-378X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10113-020-01676-9

Social networks influence decision-making in agricultural landscapes by affecting how farmers access knowledge and resources. However, researchers ignore the disparate structures built to access different kinds of knowledge and resources and the social mechanisms that take place on such farmers’ advice networks. We explored the role of social networks in decision-making among farmers in Navarre (Spain) to understand how and why some practices spread among farming communities. Social network analysis allows us to understand how farmers in this region share both knowledge and resources, and the potential implications of this sharing for the landscape. We find that large-scale farmers undertaking intensive land management are at the core of the network in this region, controlling the flow of knowledge and resources related to farm management, policy, technology, and finance. The central position of these farmers in the social network, and their reputation, is key to the spread of intensive farming practices in the region, which ultimately may lead to homogenization of local agricultural landscapes. Understanding farmer network structures in a context of agricultural intensification can help tease out the social mechanisms, such as farmers joining each other in cooperatives, behind the spread of agricultural practices.