REDES SOCIALES Y COMUNICACIÓN ENTRE EXPERIMENTADORES CAMPESINOS EN PURISCAL, COSTA RICA

Abstract

A study on knowledge exchange among farmer experimenters who are members of the Unión de Pequeños y Medianos Productores Agropecuarios de Puriscal. The study focuses on the social networks in which they are involved at the local and regional levels. It addresses the internal and external factors that foster or hinder production and circulation of new technological knowledge by men and women farmers in three areas within the district. It also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of informal experiments, the role of local kinship networks and interactions among neighbors, and other types of formal and informal networks at the regional level. Finally, it makes a number of suggestions or recommendations.