Farmers’ Attitudes toward On-Farm Adoption of Soil Organic Matter in Piedmont Region, Italy

Niccolò Pampuro, Federica Caffaro and Eugenio Cavallo
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Niccolò Pampuro: Institute for Agricultural and Earth Moving Machines (IMAMOTER), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73-10135 Torino (TO), Italy
Federica Caffaro: Institute for Agricultural and Earth Moving Machines (IMAMOTER), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73-10135 Torino (TO), Italy
Eugenio Cavallo: Institute for Agricultural and Earth Moving Machines (IMAMOTER), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73-10135 Torino (TO), Italy

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: This study aimed at exploring the frequency of use and perceived benefits of application of organic matter to the soil in a group of Italian farmers, investigating also the preferred sources of information, to identify potential interventions to promote the improvement of the soil organic matter. The study has been carried out administering a 21-item paper-and-pencil questionnaire to 44 farmers. The results of the study highlighted that the main perceived benefit linked to soil organic matter application is related to its capacity of increasing productivity, while the aspects related to work pace, production costs, and implications with the climate change appeared to be less relevant. According to the results of the study, web targeted information campaigns for the smaller farms operators and training activities for the bigger farms operators are the most effective solutions to make farmers aware of the importance of increasing soil organic matter content.

Keywords: organic wastes; recycling; soil management practices; agricultural operators; questionnaire (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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