The Straybirds program is the most important agricultural training plan in Taiwan, aimed at attracting a young labor force capable of efficient production to engage in careers in farming. In this paper we investigate the associations between psychological factors and behaviors of Straybirds trainees, using a survey of 316 participants conducted in 2007. A structural equation model was used to examine causal relationships between the level of agricultural knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the college trainees. Results indicate that agricultural knowledge is a significant antecedent determinant of the attitudes and practices of participants in the program. In addition, both the agricultural knowledge and attitudes of the participants had positive effects on their behavior in practice.A steady decline in the number of people engaged in agriculture in many countries has resulted in an aging structure of the agricultural labor force. The SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND PERSONALITY, 2010, 38(6), 795-804

Marketing strategies play a significant role in determining farm income. Although direct marketing has been proposed as an innovative way to improve producers’ economic welfare, little is known about producers’ adoption of direct marketing among aquaculture farms. This study examines the adoption of wholesaler markets, individual wholesalers or shippers, and direct marketing among aquaculture farms. In addition, we quantify the effects of the use of different marketing channels on fishery revenues, profits, and production inputs. A sample of 25,180 aquaculture family farms in Taiwan was drawn from the fishery census survey. After estimating the simultaneous equation system model, we find that the use of multiple marketing channels generates the highest fishery revenues, which highlights the importance of marketing channel diversity on selling fishery products. Moreover, we find a positive effect of direct marketing on fishery revenues and profits. We also find that the use of direct marketing can reduce the use of groundwater in aquaculture production. Since the decrease in groundwater use can mitigate the severity of land subsidence, this paper provides evidence that direct marketing can possibly provide a win-win strategy to improve fishery producers’ revenues and environmental quality.