General Statement

IFAMR is actively working with academic associations to provide a joint platform for scholars and practitioners worldwide to highlight the latest research advances and solutions to address imminent challenges facing the global food and agribusiness system. 

This special issue, entitled “Farmers’ Organizations and Green Agricultural Technology Adoption for Inclusive Development of Agri-food Systems,” aims to advance understanding of how farmers’ organizations, such as cooperatives, producer organizations, associations, and other forms of collective action, facilitate the adoption of green agricultural technologies that reduce chemical inputs, improve resource-use efficiency, mitigate environmental pollution and externalities, and strengthen the climate resilience of agri-food systems. Particularly, this special issue seeks to examine whether and how farmers’ organizations support vulnerable groups, including smallholder farmers, women farmers, young farmers, farmers in remote areas, ethnic minority groups, resource-constrained farmers, and farmers with limited market access, in adopting green agricultural technologies and participating more effectively in the inclusive development of agri-food systems.

Environmental challenges associated with climate change and the unsustainable use of natural resources have become increasingly urgent global concerns. These challenges not only threaten ecosystems and agricultural productivity but also exacerbate structural inequalities within agri-food systems. In the context of rapid population growth and climate change, promoting the inclusive development of agri-food systems by adopting green agricultural technologies is essential to reducing environmental pressures, improving resource-use efficiency, strengthening climate resilience, and ensuring long-term food security and rural well-being.

A growing body of literature shows that farmers’ organizations play an important role in facilitating farmers’ access to improved inputs, strengthening linkages to input and output markets, enhancing farm productivity and income, and reducing rural poverty. Beyond these traditional roles, farmers’ organizations can also support the adoption of green agricultural technologies by reducing information and transaction costs, improving access to services and training, and strengthening farmers’ collective capacity to respond to environmental and climate-related challenges. However, despite increasing interest in sustainable agricultural transitions, empirical evidence remains limited regarding whether and how farmers’ organizations promote inclusive access to green agricultural technologies.

This special issue aims to expand the existing literature by inviting theoretical, empirical, and practice-oriented contributions that examine the institutional role of farmers’ organizations in facilitating the adoption of green agricultural technologies for the inclusive development of agri-food systems. By advancing understanding of how farmers’ organizations support inclusive technological transitions, this special issue seeks to provide policymakers, practitioners, and development agencies with valuable insights for promoting resilient, efficient, and inclusive agri-food systems.

Areas of Focus

Contributions investigating the relationship between farmers’ organizations and the adoption of green agricultural technologies by vulnerable groups, including smallholder farmers, women farmers, young farmers, farmers in remote areas, ethnic minority groups, resource-constrained farmers, and farmers with limited market access, are particularly encouraged. 

Relevant green agricultural technologies include, but are not limited to, the following: