Influencing Factors on Adoption of Organic Farming from the Perspective of Horticulturists in Sari County, Iran

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine influencing factors on adoption of organic farming in Sari County, Iran. The methodological approach of this study was descriptive-correlation. The research population consisted of 18830 horticulturists in Sari County, which was selected using the stratified random sampling method and the Cochran formula. The validity of the instrument was established by a panel of experts consisting of senior faculty members in the agricultural extension and education departments. Reliability analysis was conducted by using the Cronbach alpha formula, and the result was 0.89. The results showed that 54.6 percent of horticulturists expressed that the adoption of organic farming was low. The variable of experience with adoption of organic farming had been a relationship of negative and significant. Also, variables of yield, cost-benefit, drip irrigation acreage, connect to experts, social status, social participation, effect of extension-education activities, use of information resources, compatibility of organic farming innovations, and testability of organic farming innovations with adoption of organic farming had been a positive and significant relationship. The results of the multiple regression analysis (stepwise method) revealed that the variables of social participation, effect of extension-education activities, and drip irrigation acreage in three steps explained variation of 24% of adoption of organic farming.