Recent research the Lamm Lab engaged in was just published in Regional Environmental Change focused on transforming challenges into opportunities for a water-secure future. Despite robust policies and substantial support, the diffusion of modern irrigation systems in Iran remains a critical challenge. In this study, I got to partner with an amazing team of global scientists to explore why farmers have only minimally embraced these systems. Masoud Yazdanpanah, Tahereh Zobeidi, Abbas Mirzae, Katharina Lohr, Laura Warner, Davoud Rouzaneh, Stefan Sieber and I examined the dynamics of adoption, aiming to unravel the complexities behind farmers’ decisions and shed light on potential solutions. The full article can be found here.
After surveying 274 farmers in the Behbahan district of Khuzestan province, southwest Iran, we found the complexity of the application process and the role of family and work social capital significantly contributed to the delayed adoption of drip irrigation technologies. Improving trust in institutions emerged as a crucial factor that could enhance the likelihood of earlier adoption among farmers and science communication approaches need to be tailored to identified barriers, simplifying application processes and fostering trust in institutions.
