Factors Affecting Behavioral Change Toward Organic Agriculture (The Case of Farmers of Bushehr Province)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

3 Professor, Bushehr Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Bushehr, Iran

4 Assistant Professor, Institution of Technical and Vocational Higher Education, Agriculture Jihad, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

Abstract

 Determinants of behavioral change toward organic farming among the farmers of Bushehr province was the main purpose of the study. Data collection was accomplished using survey and a sample of 101 farmers was selected using stratified random sampling from the counties of Bushehr, Dayyer and Jom-o-riz. Face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a group of professors and specialists of agricultural research center. The reliability was also confirmed by a pilot study with 30 farmers out of the study region and the Cronbach`s alpha was computed in a range of 0.60 to 0.91. Findings revealed that farmers have been used biological control techniques as well as green fertilizers more than the other methods of organic farming. According to the causal model, agricultural background, the use of communicative media and its effectiveness, attitude toward conventional agricultural consequences, knowledge about organic farming, attitude toward reference group, attitude toward environment and human health and attitude toward organic farming are affecting factors of organic farming activities by the farmers. Finally, some recommendations were presented: Selection and training of the educated individuals in order to promote organic farming in the area, facilitating the basic factors for this modern way of farming, assigning this task to the centers of agricultural extension and services, enhancement of scientific and practical skills of the experts and extension agents in terms of organic farming and healthy products.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Volume 49, Issue 4
November 2018
Pages 779-796

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