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Supply Chain Design and Adoption of Indivisible Technology

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  • Liang Lu
  • Thomas Reardon
  • David Zilberman

Abstract

We develop a framework for analyzing small farms’ adoption of indivisible technologies by using a threshold diffusion model. The article shows that different supply chains may emerge to enable the adoption of these technologies. When the gain from adoption is not affected by scale or ownership of the technology, independent technology dealers or larger farmers may buy the indivisible equipment that embodies the technology and rent it to farmers, or enable farmers to outsource the machine’s services by supplying custom services. The article derives equilibrium prices and quantities in the output and equipment rental or outsourcing markets. The prices and quantities are a function of the heterogeneity of farmers and the features of the technology. Introducing the new indivisible technology will benefit larger adopting farmers and consumers but may hurt non-adopters. We illustrate our conceptual findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Liang Lu & Thomas Reardon & David Zilberman, 2016. "Supply Chain Design and Adoption of Indivisible Technology," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 98(5), pages 1419-1431.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ajagec:v:98:y:2016:i:5:p:1419-1431.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ajae/aaw076
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    Cited by:

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    2. Guang Tian & Xiaoxue Du & Fangbin Qiao & Andres Trujillo-Barrera, 2021. "Technology Adoption and Learning-by-Doing: The Case of Bt Cotton Adoption in China," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Palatnik, Ruslana Rachel & Freer, Mikhail & Levin, Mark & Golberg, Alexander & Zilberman, David, 2023. "Algae-Based Two-Stage Supply Chain with Co-Products," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    4. Xiaoxue Du & Hernan Tejeda & Zhengliang Yang & Liang Lu, 2022. "A General-Equilibrium Model of Labor-Saving Technology Adoption: Theory and Evidences from Robotic Milking Systems in Idaho," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-17, June.
    5. Maas, Alexander S. & Lu, Liang, 2020. "“Elections have Consequences”: Partisan Politics are Literally Killing Us," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304457, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Gulati, Kajal & Lybbert, Travis J. & Spielman, David J., 2017. "Diffusing to level fields: Evolution of laser land leveling technology markets in India," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258387, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Amir Heiman & Joel Ferguson & David Zilberman, 2020. "Marketing and Technology Adoption and Diffusion," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 21-30, March.
    8. Diane Charlton & Marcelo Castillo, 2021. "Potential Impacts of a Pandemic on the US Farm Labor Market," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(1), pages 39-57, March.
    9. Hennessy, David A. & Zhang, Jing & Bai, Na, 2019. "Animal health inputs, endogenous risk, general infrastructure, technology adoption and industrialized animal agriculture," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 355-362.
    10. Sara Ratna Qanti & Thomas Reardon & Arief Iswariyadi, 2017. "Triangle of Linkages among Modernising Markets, Sprayer–traders, and Mango-farming Intensification in Indonesia," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(2), pages 187-208, May.
    11. Charlton, Diane & Hill, Alexandra E. & Taylor, J. Edward, 2022. "Automation and social impacts: winners and losers," ESA Working Papers 330793, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
    12. Umakanta Mishra & Abu Hashan Md Mashud & Ming-Lang Tseng & Jei-Zheng Wu, 2021. "Optimizing a Sustainable Supply Chain Inventory Model for Controllable Deterioration and Emission Rates in a Greenhouse Farm," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-23, February.
    13. Tejeda, Hernan A. & Chahine, Mireille & Du, Xiaoxue & Lu, Liang & Westerhold, Ashlee, 2020. "Investigating Factors Affecting Adoption of Automated Milking Systems (AMS) in Idaho," Western Economics Forum, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 18(2), December.
    14. Bellemare, Marc F. & Lee, Yu Na & Novak, Lindsey, 2021. "Contract farming as partial insurance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    15. Scott Kaplan & Ben Gordon & Feras El Zarwi & Joan L. Walker & David Zilberman, 2019. "The Future of Autonomous Vehicles: Lessons from the Literature on Technology Adoption," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(4), pages 583-597, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agricultural services; farm mechanization; machine rental and machine services outsourcing; supply chain; technology adoption; threshold model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services

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