Agricultural Information Acquisition and Social Media from a Gender Perspective:

Farmers’ Facebook Groups

Abstract

This study examined how farmers use social media as a source of information and how it can be utilized in various aspects of agricultural management in Japan. We compared communication form, social media and in-person, to find out which is easier to engage in interactions from a gender perspective. We analyzed survey results from farmers who participated in agricultural Facebook groups. The findings indicate that social media is an essential source of agricultural information and is used similarly by gender. Particularly for female farmers, social media plays a role in communication among farmers who cultivate the same crops. Moreover, social media makes it easier for farmers to interact with other farmers from different characters regardless of gender.