Abstract
This article reports the results of a survey with Canadian farmers (n = 166) to analyze the mechanisms that shape their intention to adopt farming practices that can mitigate climate change. Specifically, we are interested in assessing the farmers’ fertilizer purchase behavior in the face of climate change challenges. We thus proposed and tested a structural equation model in which the purchase intention of agricultural technologies by a farmer is positively influenced by their climate change perceptions (hypothesis H1) and appetite for innovation (H2) (χ2/Df = 1.145; p-value = 0.282; PRATIO = 0.667; RMSEA = 0.030; RMR = 0.055; SRMR = 0.043; GFI = 0.966). Cluster analysis identified two clusters of farmers based on modeling of the survey responses where “cluster 1” presented a robust indication of innovation appetite and heightened climate change awareness, leading to stronger purchase intention of eco-friendly agricultural technologies, compared to “cluster 2.” It was concluded, with basis on the behavioral determinants of each cluster, that farmers interested in preserving and enhancing the quality of the environment are more likely to embrace strategies to improve fertilizer performance. In addition to confirming these influences, our findings suggest that informational and educational efforts towards green agricultural technologies could vary according to the farmers’ profile. Since they differ in the degree of climate change awareness and innovativeness by demographic characteristics (such as region, age, and farm size), the effectiveness of educational campaigns is expected to be diverse as well.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance through a Gryphon’s LAAIR Market Validation Grant (GLAAIR2018-5345).
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Communicated by Beata Madari and accepted by Topical Collection Chief Editor Christopher Reyer.
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Araujo, F.S.M., Fantucci, H., de Oliveira Lima, S.H. et al. Modeling Canadian farmer’s intention to adopt eco-friendly agricultural inputs and practices. Reg Environ Change 22, 44 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-022-01901-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-022-01901-7