Barriers of Conversion to Organic Farming in West Azarbaijan Province

Abstract

The present study aimed to explain the barriers of conversion to organic farming in West Azarbaijan Province, Iran. To achieve the goals of the study, data were collected from both certified organic farmers and conventional farmers using a questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The sample population consisted of 400 people out of whom farmers were selected by the cluster sampling method by using Morgan’s table. The research instrument consisted of a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by an expert panel consisting of specialists in agriculture and development and rural development. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to measure the reliability of different sections of the questionnaire and its value was determined to be 0.87. The results of factor analysis showed that the barriers of conversion in organic farming can be classified into five main factors; i.e., economic, social, policy support, informational and educational, and natural barriers. They altogether captured 47.8 percent of the variance in barriers.