Farmers’ perception of sustainable agriculture and its determinants: a case study in Kahramanmaras province of Turkey |
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Authors: | F Füsun Tatl?dil ?smet Boz Hasan Tatlidil |
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Institution: | 1. Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey 2. Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kahramanmara? Süt?ü ?mam, Kahramanmaras, Turkey
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Abstract: | The primary purpose of this study was to assess in quantitative terms farmers’ perceptions of sustainable agriculture and
to determine how those are influenced by different socio-economic characteristics and information-seeking behavior of the
farmers. The study was conducted in Kahramanmaras province of Turkey and comprised a stratified sample of 208 farmers from
four districts of the province. The farmers rated each of the 21 selected sustainable agricultural practices for importance
on a 5-point scale, and the total of these ratings formed the sustainable agriculture perception index. The index score was
calculated for each farmer and was treated as the dependent variable in the stepwise regression analysis procedure. The independent
variables were such socio-economic characteristics as the farming system, the total and irrigated area of the farm, membership
of a cooperative society and participation in village administration, and age, education, and income of the farmer; components
of information-seeking behavior included use of the mass media (newspapers, radio, and television), use of the Internet, travel,
and participation in farming events. The results of the study showed that the higher the socio-economic status (more frequent
contact with extension services, higher education, ownership of land, etc.) and the greater the access to information, the
greater the perceived importance of sustainable agricultural practices. It is concluded that if policy-makers and extension
organizations concentrate on these factors, they are more likely to succeed in making farmers more favorably disposed toward
sustainable agriculture. |
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