Journal
AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN VALUES
Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages 39-52Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10460-004-7229-9
Keywords
Austria; decision-tree; farmer decision-making; motivation; organic farming
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Reasons for converting to organic farming have been studied in a number of instances. However, the underlying rationale that motivates the behavior is not always made clear. This study aims to provide a detailed picture of farmers' decision-making and illustrate the choice between organic and conventional farm management. Based on 21 interviews with farmers, a decision-tree highlighting the reasons and constraints involved in the decision of farmers to use, or not to use, organic production techniques was formulated. The accuracy of the decision-tree was tested through a written survey of 65 randomly sampled farmers. The decision-tree permits the identification of decision criteria and examines the decision-making process of farmers in choosing their farming method. It also allows for the characterization of farmer strategies and values, identifying five types of farmers: the committed conventional; the pragmatic conventional; the environment-conscious but not organic; the pragmatic organic; and the committed organic. The importance of taking into account heterogeneity in farmers' attitudes, preferences, and goals and their impact on the choice of a fanning method is emphasized.
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