Factors Influencing Partial and Complete Adoption of Organic Farming Practices in Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

"Using a sample of organic producers in Saskatchewan, Canada, this study uses a Tobit model to identify the factors that discourage or encourage the complete adoption of organic farming and to assess why farmers differ in the share of total cultivated crop area they allocate to organic practices. In particular, the study evaluates the effect of transaction costs on the decision to convert partially or completely from conventional to organic practices. The results highlight the importance of lowering certain transaction costs to encourage the adoption of organic management practices. Significant transaction costs were found to include infrastructure and services, satisfaction with marketer performance, marketing problems, and Internet use. Results suggest that farmers with smaller land holdings are more inclined to undertake complete adoption. While the education levels of organic farmers show no significant effect on the probability of adoption, younger organic farmers allocate significantly less of their cultivated area to organic practices." Copyright (c) 2010 Canadian Agricultural Economics Society.

Factors Affecting Wheat Farmers’ Attitudes toward Organic Farming

“…Thus, the evidence of the positive effect of education on attitudes toward organic farming is indisputable. The findings of this study are, however, inconsistent with that of Cukur [13] and Khaledi et al [32]. The literature review has a unanimous agreement with respect to the assertion that larger households have a better attitude toward organic farming in comparison to smaller households [11,18,34].…”

“…In contrast to these studies, [13,32] show that the education levels of farmers have been found to have no significant effect on the probability of adopting organic farming practices. According to previous studies, organic farming has a greater need for labour in comparison to conventional farming [33].…”

“…Some studies such as Oluwasusi [11], Cukur [13], Karki et al [20], Chouichom and Yamao [30], and Adebayo and Oladele [34] show that the attitude toward organic farming has a positive correlation with farm size. However, Alzaidi et al [22] and Khaledi et al [32] indicate that an inverse relationship exists between farm size and the attitudes of the farmers toward organic farming. This means that farmers who own smaller lands have a better attitude regarding the use of organic farming practices.…”

Conventional, Partially Converted and Environmentally Friendly Farming in South Korea: Profitability and Factors Affecting Farmers’ Choice

“…This implies that the farm size decreases the tendency of adopting EFF by 0.80. Our finding supports the previous study by Khaledi et al [29] who found that farmers with smaller farmland can more easily manage their fields to certified regulations. In addition, relatively small farmlands could be easier to manage within the regulations and standards of organic farming.…”

Motivation toward the extension of organic rice production in Northeast Thailand

“…They are social dimension, including human relationship in the rural, health and environmental reasons. There are examples of some studies relating rural vitality (Mzoughi, 2011;Lasley et al 1993;Bird et al 1995), advancement of human skills on problem-solving and self-reliance which can mobilize local community (Flora, 1995), more community involvement (MacKinnon 2006), as well as health and environmental concerns (Bryne et al, 1991;Koesling et al, 2008;Padel, 2001;Hanson et al,2004;Stofferahn, 2009;Khaledi et al, 2010) However, there were studies suggesting that profit motives were stronger than environmental motives (Carr & Tate, 1991;Newman et al, 1990). Therefore, concerning merely social and environmental attitude may not enough for the continuation of organic farming.…”