The role of information transfer in the aoption of agricultural innovations : the case of the Federal District of Brazil

^aTese^bPh.D). Information Studies University of Sheffield. Departament of Information Studies

Orientador: Schur, Herbert

This thesis attempted to examine the ways in which information transferred through, both mass media and interpersonal channels of communication, influence adoption of agricultural innovations by farmers of the Federal District of Brazil. Other economic and socio-cultural factors such as: income, off-farm income, credit, farm size, size of herd, land under cultivation, labour, age, literacy, education, place of birth, and years of residence in the Federal District, were also analysed, and their influence on adoption of innovations was assessed. Farmers, 2) Livestock farmers, and 3) Farmers dealing with both crop and animal husbandy. In the Federal District farmers are, in their majority, literate, with many years of formal education. They come from the several regions of Brazil, from Japan, and other countries. Crop farmers tend to live mainly off the farming activity, while livestoock farmers live primarily from their off-farm activity. They do not have very large farm units. Crop farmers rely more heavily on credit, but for livestoock farmers, credit is largely unavailable

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