Analysis of information systems and communication networks for organic and conventional hazelnut producers in the Samsun province of Turkey

Kursat Demiryurek

Agricultural Systems, 2010, vol. 103, issue 7, 444-452

Abstract: This research presents an analysis of the agricultural information systems and communication networks for organic and conventional hazelnut producers in the Samsun province of Turkey. Structured interviews were used to collect data from 64 randomly selected conventional and all 39 organic hazelnut producers living in the study area. Information systems for organic and conventional producers were found to be different. Organic producers benefited from more information sources than conventional producers. In addition, the contract farming approach to organic agriculture had initially isolated organic producers from conventional producers. Furthermore, dissatisfaction from the organic marketing company and its organic production project resulted in further separation among organic producers and led some of them to establish their own union. The lack of access to information and support from the organic project-related sources, professional institutions and mass media sources was evident. This resulted in the development of social sources to exchange information among the producers within their villages. However, this information is mainly based on traditional practices rather than scientific applications. Thus, more functional cooperation and professional communication between personal and institutional information sources are needed to enhance the diffusion of information and technology among farmers.

Keywords: Agricultural; information; systems; Communication; networks; Organic; agriculture; Hazelnut; Turkey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308-521X(10)00057-0
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agisys:v:103:y:2010:i:7:p:444-452

Access Statistics for this article

Agricultural Systems is currently edited by J.W. Hansen, P.K. Thornton and P.B.M. Berentsen

More articles in Agricultural Systems from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().