Factors Influencing Farmers’ Decision to Shift to Organic Farming: The Case of Gaza Strip
Ahmed Abu Shaban *
Fulbright Visiting Scholar in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA and Faculty of Agriculture Environment. Al Azhar University, Gaza, Palestinian Territory
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The building of proper policies for the promotion of organic farming should be based on good understanding of the factors that affect farmers' decision to shift to organic farming. This study aims at defining the determinants of farmers' decision to convert to organic agriculture in the Gaza strip. The analyses of this study are based on data of 100 randomly-selected vegetables farmers in southern Gaza strip. Based on previous studies and focus group discussions, the study hypothesized three factors as the potential determinants of farmers' decision to convert to organic farming. The potential determinants are the socioeconomic and the demographic characteristics of farmers; attitudes towards organic farming; and the perceived economic performance of organic farming. Farmers were categorized into two groups based on their intention to convert to organic farming. Logit regression is then applied to test the hypnotized determinants for their power as predictors of farmers' conversion decision. The estimated logit regression model shows that attitude towards organic farming and farmers' education can be good predictors of the intention of conventional farmers to convert to organic farming. Results suggest that farmers with higher education level and better attitudes towards organic farming are more likely to convert. The study proved the significance of education and awareness on environmental issues affecting the farmers' conversion decisions. Therefore, policies for promoting organic farming should take into consideration noneconomic and non-technical factors to enable wider transition from conventional to organic farming.
Keywords: Conversion determinants, attitudes, logit model, conventional farming, organic farming