Scientific discipline and field of work
Valuation of adoption of agricultural innovations through Social Networks and adaptive capacity to climate threats
Current research interest
Diffusion of agricultural innovations and spread of adoptions along social interaction networks
Social influence on the land use change and use of agroforestry species
Individuals’ attitudes and behavioral patterns in response to a perceived environmental threats and risk and normative beliefs that affect the adoption of new agricultural technologies
Prediction the adoption of risk-reducing agricultural innovations at the community level
Predict differences in past agricultural adoptions in culturally and ethnically differing communities
Adoption of agricultural innovations as a way to increase the adaptive capacity and reduce the vulnerability to climate change
Topic
Modeling the influence of Social and Economic factors on the adoption of agricultural innovations and land use change in culturally diverse Southern Ecuador.
Project: DFG Research Unit 816.
“Biodiversity and Sustainable Management of a Megadiverse Mountain Ecosystem in South Ecuador.”
Academic Education
2004-2007: Master of Sciences in International Agriculture with mention in Agribusiness. University of Goettingen, Germany and University of Talca, Chile.
Socio-Economy of Rural Development: Thesis:
“Intra-household effects of ENSO related drought in lowland households in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.”
2002-2004: Sociology. University of Costa Rica, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, San José, Costa Rica.
2001-2002: Lic. in Agricultural Economics with Emphasis in Environmental Economy. Degree obtained with honour mention. University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
Environmental Diagnostic and Socio-Economic Evaluation: Thesis: “Socioeconomic diagnostic for a Hydro-electrical project Reventazón – Pacuare in Siquirres and Turrialba, Costa Rica.”
1996-2000: Bsc. Agriculture with Emphasis in Agricultural Economics. University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
Working Experiences
Since November 2007: Research assistant.
Collaborating with the:
- “Socio-economic valuation of rainforest conversion and agroforestry intensification in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia”, by analysing the socioeconomic importance of Rattan in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
- “Spatially explicit and institutionally extended valuation of ecosystem services” in south Ecuador. Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development - Environmental and Resource Economics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Georg-August-University of Goettingen, Germany.
September 2005 - February 2006: IMPENSO project on the impact of El Niño Southern Oscillation on Water Resources. Research on the Intra-household effects of El Niño in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Georg-August-University of Goettingen, Germany.
October 2003 – March 2004: Second phase of the project “Options for the formation of Public – Private Partnerships for the Innovation of Agroindustry: the case of organic coffee in Costa Rica. Include the mapping of the organic coffee agri-chain.
Research Centre in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. CIEDA, University of Costa Rica. Collaboration with International Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), division International Service for National Agriculture (ISNAR). San José, Costa Rica.
October 2002: Project “Identification and Valuation of the Environmental Benefits in Agro - Forestal Systems”. University of Costa Rica with the coordination of the Extension Agency of Ministry of Agriculture (MAG). Acosta. and Aserrí. Costa Rica.
October 2002 – May 2003: First phase of the project “Diagnostic and Evaluation of Public – Private Partnership for the Research in Agro-industrial Development”: The case of oil palm, potatoes and organic coffee. Research Centre en Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. CIEDA, University of Costa Rica. Collaboration with International Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Service for National Agriculture (ISNAR). San José, Costa Rica.
August-December 2001: Colaboration with a socioeconomic diagnostic for a hydro-electrical project: “Proyecto Hidroeléctrico Reventazón - Pacuare en la zona comprendida entre Siquirres y Turrialba”. Department of Environmental Assessment, National Centre of Planning for Electric Energy (CENPE), Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). San José, Costa Rica.
Publications
Gonzalez V, Barkmann J, Marggraf R (2010). Social Network effects on the adoption of agroforestry species: Preliminary results of a study on adoption patterns in Southern Ecuador. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 4: 71-82.
Gonzalez V, Hartwich F, Jimenez A and Quiros O (2004). Proposal for the formulation of public – private alliances: case of the organic coffee in Costa Rica. Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Division International Service for National Agriculture (ISNAR). San José, Costa Rica.
Gonzalez V (2004). Round tables for the determination of options for partnerships in the Agrichain of organic coffee in Costa Rica. Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Division International Service for National Agriculture (ISNAR). San José, Costa Rica. PPP News Bulletin N°32.
http://www.isnar.cgiar.org/ppp/es/index.htm
Gonzalez V (2004). The action-research and how is it applied to the process of construction of partnerships. Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Division International Service for National Agriculture (ISNAR). San José, Costa Rica. PPP News Bulletin N°28.
http://www.isnar.cgiar.org/ppp/es/index.htm
