Yue Wang, Pingan Xiang
Using a complex network evolutionary game model, this study examines the effects of policy incentives, certification mechanisms, price premiums, production costs, and neighborhood learning on farmers’ adoption of organic farming technologies. It aims to reveal the dynamic mechanisms of organic farming technology diffusion under subsidy policies and certification mechanisms. Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the effects of the subsidy rate and the effectiveness of organic certification on the diffusion level of organic farming technologies. The results show that both subsidy policies and certification mechanisms can promote the diffusion of organic farming technologies; however, the effect of subsidy policies is relatively limited, whereas certification mechanisms play a more significant role. Furthermore, the effects of the subsidy rate and certification effectiveness are influenced by factors such as the proportion of consumers with a preference for organic products, increased production costs, and the organic price premium. Under different levels of bounded rationality and strategy updating rules, the combined “subsidy–certification” policy consistently outperforms single-policy scenarios, with certification mechanisms generally exerting a stronger promotional effect than subsidy policies. In addition, the initial adoption proportion and network size also affect the evolutionary outcomes of the system. A higher initial adoption proportion cannot sustain a higher steady-state diffusion level in the long run, while an increase in network size tends to weaken the effectiveness of policy interventions. Finally, this study proposes policy recommendations, including improving certification and market development mechanisms and strengthening information dissemination and technical service systems, thereby providing practical insights for promoting the diffusion of organic farming technologies.