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Determinants of Adoption Decisions: the Case of Organic Farming (of) in Bangladesh

MA Sarker
Doctoral Student, the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Japan

Y Itohara
Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Japan

M Hoque
Doctoral Student, the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Japan

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences on decisions by Bangladeshi farmers regarding whether to adopt organic farming (OF) practices. The study population consisted of all the farmers in three villages (Pirojepur, Kuragasa, and Lokdeo) within the Madhupur sub-district in the Tangail district in Bangladesh. Empirical data were collected from 195 farmers via questionnaires. Among the respondent farmers, the majority (75%) were adopters of OF. The results of a logit regression model showed that perceptions of OF, household access to extension services, number of family labourers and household income were significantly associated with decisions to adopt OF. However, only Non Government Organizations (NGOs) are currently promoting OF in Bangladesh and public sector extension has yet to begin promoting OF. Thus, to encourage the rapid expansion of OF in Bangladesh, it is essential to formulate an OF promotion policy, taking into account the above factors that influence farmers’ adoption decisions.

Keywords: Adoption decision, Organic farming, Bangladesh

Location: Madhupur sub-district in the Tangail district in Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Farming System

Non-commodity: Adoption of technology

Objectives:

The present study was carried out to investigate factors that influence the adoption of OF in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Study area The Madhupur sub-district, within the Tangail district of Bangladesh, was selected for analysis because Proshika has been promoting OF (non-certified) among farmers in this area for around a decade. Proshika’s technical workers try to communicate with all farmers and provide information regarding OF techniques. Farmers who show interests in the OF program are included in the OF group and provided with training, credit, and other logistical support to assist them in adopting OF. Moreover, Proshika’s technical workers manage demonstration plots on the land of adopter farmers, thereby motivating neighbouring farmers to adopt OF. Three villages (Pirojepur, Kuragasa, and Lokdeo) were selected as study villages. Excluding the OF project villages managed by Proshika and several other NGOs, there exists no formal OF in Bangladesh. These three villages were selected because Proshika is promoting OF at all three sites. The majority of the people in these villages are farmers who grow a variety of vegetables and rice following both conventional and organic methods. However, a significant portion of the smallholder farmers in these villages is growing organic vegetables according to Proshika’s guidelines. Population and Sample The population analyzed in this study consisted of farmers from the three selected villages who grew vegetables or rice in 2007. Lists of the farmers within the villages were collected from the relevant Sub-Assistant Agricultural Officers (SAAO) of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). From the three lists, a total of 195 farmers were randomly selected and interviewed. Data collection The empirical data analyzed in this study were collected by personal interviews conducted with the respondent smallholder farmers from 10th December 2007 to 12th January 2008. The authors and three trained data collectors conducted the interviews. Statistical analysis An unequal individual sample t-test was used to test for differences between the socio-economic profiles of the adopter and non-adopter organic farmers. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the significant determinants that influence the decision to adopt OF. Measurement of dependent and explanatory variables The dependent variable was dichotomized with a value of 1 if a farmer was an adopter of OF and 0 if otherwise. The explanatory variables of the study were classified into three groups: individual-level, household-level, and perception-related variables. Individual-level explanatory variables were the gender, age, education level, and farming experience of the household head. Household-level variables were the number of active family members, number of dependent family members, number of family labourers, farm size, household income, households’ access to credit, households’ access to market, households’ access to public extension services, and households’ access to Proshika extension services. The sole perception-related variable was the farmer’s perception of OF.

Source of Information: Extension Farming Systems Journal volume 5 number 2 – Research Forum

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

It can be concluded that the adoption of organic farming systems is an information-intensive process and that there are likely to be opportunities for providing extension programs and localized information to increase the use of organic farming by Bangladeshi farmers. Finally, to rapidly increase the rate of adoption of organic farming in Bangladesh, it is essential for the Government of Bangladesh to formulate a National Organic Farming Promotion Policy, taking into account the determinants found to be influential in the present study.

Knowledge Management: Journal