Local adoption of new forestry technologies: An example from Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province

Technology transfer is an important, but previously unexamined, topic for forestry activities in international development projects. This paper uses household economics and an example from Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province to inquire into the characteristics most likely to explain household and community adoption of new forestry technologies. Household attitudes toward risk and household expectations of the uncertain gains from adoption are critical. Adopting households probably have higher incomes and greater endowments of land, labor, and capital. Good extension foresters are also important, but their personal character may be even more important than their technical expertise.