Learning studies in agricultural economics literature - a review

摘要

This paper gives some examples of how learning is treated in the agricultural economics literature. As a background to the review some learning theories are presented. This part is based on agricultural extension literature. Learning has no importantrole in elementary agricultural economic theory, but learning is important in, for instance, adaptive economic theory and in decision making theories, It is a more or less explicit assumption in the farm management literature that farmers could and should make better decisions. Learning is a precondition for making better decisions. However, no thorough study of the mental processes involved in learning was found in the agricultural economics literature. This review illustrates the close connection between decision making and learning. The farm management literature is long on theory and prescriptions but short on description of how farmers actually manage their businesses. We know how farmers should make decisions, but we know very little on how farmers actually make their decisions. The literature is more extensive on what farmers learn than on how they learn. However, it is obvious that farmers learn in many ways: formal education; from own experience, from observing other farmers, discussing withcolleagues and advisors, and from thinking on what the consequences might be of certain decisions. Farmers have a rather problem-solving orientation to learning.