Farmers' Access to Internet Information: Pathways, Interests and Cost

Set in six rural communities in southern Hebei Province of China, the present study focuses on rural farmers’ access to, interests about and management of internet information. With the perspective of farmers, this empirical study attempts to understand the potential effects of information technology on agricultural information system and to capture its development prospect as well. The research findings indicate that 1) how the surveyed rural residents gain access to internet information and to what extent the internet as media is acceptable to farmers are dependent on such factors as individual education background, age, family income, as well as outside interventions; 2) innovative information technology plays a significant role in improving local livelihoods and accelerating local development; 3) poverty reduction through information technology has laid positive but limited impact towards rural residents’ understanding, learning and utilization of the internet.