Despite advances in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) designed to enhance agricultural production while protecting the environment, many farmers remain hesitant to adopt innovations that can improve productivity and sustainability. However, addressing this trust gap has become essential for advancing rural development due to increasing climate and resource challenges. In rural areas where information access can vary, what drives farmers to adopt new agricultural technologies and what holds them back?
Dr. Li Zhang of Tsinghua University in China tackled this question in her research titled “The Impact of Trust in Information Source on Farmers’ Intentions to Adopt Agricultural Technologies: An Empirical Study from Inner Mongolia, China.” The study is one of three recipients of the 2025 FAO/IAMCR Rural Communication Services (RCS) Award and will be featured in the RCS special session of the IAMCR 2025 conference.
Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) as a theoretical framework, the team conducted a survey in December 2023 among farmers in Inner Mongolia to examine how trust in various information sources influences their willingness to adopt NbS in agriculture. These solutions include conservation tillage, organic fertilizers, and ecological pest management. All of which are recognized as essential tools for climate-resilient farming.
The results revealed that trust plays a major role but varies according to farmers’ knowledge levels. Trust in authoritative sources such as the government, scientists, and mainstream media significantly increases the intention of farmers with limited knowledge to adopt NbS technologies. They often rely on peripheral cues, such as the credibility of the information source, rather than data about the technology itself. Meanwhile, for more informed farmers, the intention to adopt NbS technologies is positively influenced only by trust in local media. New media showed no significant effect on adoption intentions. Moreover, training programs on NbS were effective only among those with higher levels of existing knowledge.
This suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach to agricultural communication may not be effective. The process of trust-building must be tailored to stakeholders’ needs and preferences. From enhancing the credibility of government campaigns for less informed farmers, to empowering local media channels for more knowledgeable ones. The study emphasizes the importance of source credibility and targeted information processing in influencing behavioral change.
This research also extends the applicability of ELM to agricultural technology adoption, showing how information processing and source credibility interact in a rural context. Moreover, it provides communication practitioners and policymakers with a roadmap for designing inclusive, trust-based communication strategies that encourages technology adoption in rural communities.
Dr. Zhang serves as the Vice Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University. Her publication record includes more than 100 articles written in both the English and Chinese language. These can be seen in several journals such as the JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of Contemporary China, Comparative European Politics, Asia Europe Journal, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, International Communication Gazette, and Chinese Journal of Communication. She earned her PhD from the University of Leeds.
Using her expertise in international communication, rural communication, and strategic communication, Dr. Zhang is able to provide valuable insights on the importance of interdisciplinary research, combining communication theory and agricultural technologies for more effective rural development strategies.
To learn more about other research initiatives and development programs focusing on RCS, visit the CCComdev website.
References
International Association for Media and Communication Research. (2025). RCS awards 2025. Retrieved from https://iamcr.org/awards/RCS-award-2025
Article contributed by Maria Soledad, CCComDev intern.
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