A social approach to land consolidation schemes : A Portuguese case study: the Valença Project

This paper presents an evaluation of a technique used in land consolidation projects (LCPs) to identify the ways by which characteristics and perceptions of individuals influence their propensity to adopt innovations. We investigate the influence of household characteristics on the adoption of selected agricultural innovations in Valença-LCP (northwest Portugal). At the project scale it appears that younger, better educated household heads who have farmed all their lives, on large holdings, producing primarily for the market, are the most likely to adopt new agricultural equipment and technology.