How rationality, morality, and fear shape willingness to carry out organic crop cultivation: a case study of farmers in southwestern Iran

Masoud Yazdanpanah (), Maryam Tajeri Moghadam, Farhad Javan, Mojtaba Deghanpour, Stefan Sieber and Peyman Falsafi
Additional contact information
Masoud Yazdanpanah: Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan
Maryam Tajeri Moghadam: University of Tabriz
Farhad Javan: Kharazmi University
Mojtaba Deghanpour: Ministry of Jihad-E-Agriculture
Stefan Sieber: Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF E. V)
Peyman Falsafi: Ministry of Jihad-E-Agriculture

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2022, vol. 24, issue 2, No 27, 2145-2163

Abstract: Abstract Increasing concerns for human and environmental health have led to calls for a transition from conventional farming systems (CFS) with intensive external inputs to organic farming (OF). While farmers are the most important element in this transition, understanding how and why they intend to make this shift is critically important. This study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine the roles of rationality, morality, and fear in predicting the willingness of farmers to farm organically. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 320 farmers in southwestern Iran selected through multi-stage, stratified, random sampling. The combined analysis of three dimensions—rationality, morality, and fear—enhanced the predictive power of the TPB from 40% (original TPB) to 65% (extended TPB). The morality consideration was the strongest predictor of willingness to cultivate organic products, followed by fear and perceived behavioral control. Interestingly, other components of rationality (attitudes and subjective norms) failed to predict willingness. The results of the current study can help policymakers and planners design, develop, and implement strategies and policies to encourage farmers to cultivate healthy and environmentally friendly organic products.

Keywords: Organic farming; Theory of planned behavior; Personal utility; Normative motivation; Risk assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-021-01523-9 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

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:spr:endesu:v:24:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10668-021-01523-9

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/10668

DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01523-9

Access Statistics for this article

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development is currently edited by Luc Hens

More articles in Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().