Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A Gender Sensitive Analysis Towards Organic Agriculture: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study integrates the motivating and challenging elements impacting on the implementation of organic farming practice in Iran. Analysis was based on the results of two surveys; one from organic farmers to determine motivating factors and the other from experts in organic farming to identify challenging factors. These surveys incorporated a gender perspective to enable gender comparison and analysis of the results presents a practical model to support program developers in Iranian organic agriculture. Gender comparison indicated that attitudes among farmers to organic agriculture were slightly variable according to gender; while experts’ attitudes to organic agriculture remained constant and were not influenced by gender. The practical model ranked motivating factors as husbandry, financial, health-quality of life, general and personal; and challenging factors as financial, legal, educational, and technical. Finally, several suggestions are made according to these findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baconguis, R. T., & Cruz, F. A. (2005). Paradigmatic outlook of alternative and conventional rice farmers in southern Philippines. The Philippine Scientist, 42, 15–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beus, C. E., & Dunlap, R. E. (1994). Agricultural paradigms and the practice of agriculture. Rural Sociology, 59, 620–635.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blobaum, R. (1983). Barriers to conversion to organic farming practices in the Midwestern United States. In: Environmentally sound agriculture. Proceedings of 4th IFOAM Scientific Conference Boston 1992. (W. Lockeretz). Praeger; New York, pp. 263–278.

  • Burton, M., Rigby, D., & Young, T. (1999). Analysis of the determinants of adoption of organic horticultural techniques in the UK. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 50(1), 47–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R. (2006). Poverty unperceived: Traps, biases and agenda. IDS working paper 270. Available at: http://www.ids.ac.uk/files/Wp270.pdf.

  • Chiappe, M. B., & Butler, F. C. (1998). Gendered elements of the alternative agriculture paradigm. Rural Sociology, 63(3), 372–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das, K. (2004). Transitioning to organic. India together. http://indiatogether.org/2004/jun/agr-transorg.htm.

  • Davidson, D. J., & Freudenburg, W. R. (1996). Gender and environmental risk concerns: A review and analysis of available research [Electronic version]. Environment and Behavior, 28(3), 302–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dindyal, S. (2003). How personal factors, including culture and ethnicity, affect the choices and selection of food we make. Internet Journal of Third World Medicine, 1(2), 27–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duba, S., Ghimiray, M., Gurung, T. R. (2008). Promoting organic farming in Bhutan: A review of policy, implementation and constraints. Available at: http://www.fao.org/sard/common/ecg/3120/en/BhutanEngNov08case.pdf.

  • Fairweather, J. R. (1999). Understanding how farmers choose between organic and conventional production: Results from New Zealand and policy implications. Agriculture and Human Values, 16, 51–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fairweather, J. R., & Campbell, H. R. (2003). Environmental beliefs and farm practices of New Zealand farmers: Contrasting pathways to sustainability. Agriculture and Human Values, 20, 287–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farnworth, C., & Hutchings, J. (2007). Organic agriculture and women’s empowerment. Available at: http://shop.ifoam.org/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=491.

  • Filson, G. C. (1993). Comparative differences in Ontario farmers’ environmental attitudes. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 6(2), 165–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, P. (1998). Barriers to the adoption of organic farming in Canterbury. MS thesis, center of research management, Lincoln College, University of Canterbury.

  • Hall, A., & Mogyorody, V. (2001). Organic farmers in Ontario: An examination of the conventionalization argument. Sociologic Rural, 41(4), 399–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hancock, G. R., & Mueller, R. O. (2006). Structural equation modeling: A second course. New York: IAP: Information Age Publishing Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henning, J., Baker, L., & Thomassin, P. (1991). Economic issues in organic agriculture. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 39(4), 877–886.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, C.-W. (1994). Organic farming and the sustainability of agriculture in Korea. Suweon, Korea: Agricultural Science Institute, Rural Development Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howlett, B., L. Connolly, C. Cowan, H. Meehan, & Neilsen, R. (2002). Conversion to organic farming: Case study report. Working Paper DL 3.1. Dublin, Ireland: The National Food Centre.

  • Javanmard, M., & Mahmoudi, H. (2008). A SWOT analysis of organic dried fig production in Iran. Environment Science, 6(1), 101–110. autumn 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johannsen, J., Wilhelm, B., Buntzel-Cano, R., Schorie, F., & Fleckenstein, M. (2005). Organic farming. A contribution to sustainable poverty alleviation in developing countries. Bonn: German NGO Forum Environment & Development, Knotenpunkt GmbH.

  • Joreskog, K. G., & Moustaki, I. (2001). Factor analysis of ordinal variables: A comparison of three approaches. Multivariate Behavioural Research, 36(3), 347–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joreskog, K. G., & Moustaki, I. (2006). Factor analysis of ordinal variables with full information maximum likelihood. Athens: Technical report printed by Athens University of Economics and Business.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karami, E., & Mansoorabadi, A. (2010). Sustainable agricultural attitudes and behaviors: A gender analysis of Iranian farmers. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 10, 883–898.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koocheki, A. (2004). Organic farming in Iran. 6th IFOAM-Asia Scientific Conference “Benign Environment and Safe Food”, 7th–11th September 2004. Yangpyung/Korea.

  • Kubala, J., Grodzinska-Jurczak, M., & Nieszporek, K. (2008). Motivations for organic farming among farmers from Malopolska Province, Poland. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 7(3), 345–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kucinska, K., Pelc, I., & Golba, J. (2008). Review of prospects of organic agriculture development in Poland determinate by consumer demands. Agronomy Research, 6(1), 47–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lampkin, N. H., & Padel, S. (1994). Organic farming and agricultural policy in Western Europe: An overview. In N. H. Lampkin & S. Padel (Eds.), The economics of organic farming (pp. 437–456). Oxon, UK: CAB International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahmoudi, H., Liaghati, H., & Zohari, M. (2007). The role of organic agriculture in achieving the millennium development goals: Challenge and prospects in Iran. Conference of Tropentag: Utilization of diversity in land use systems: Sustainable and organic approaches to meet human needs. October 9–11, 2007, Witzenhausen, Germany.

  • Martin, H. (2002). Transition to organic farming. Guelph, Ontario: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Available at: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/organic/transition.htm.

  • Midmore, P., Padel S., McCalman H., Lampkin, N. H., Fowler, S., & Isherwood, J. (2001). Attitude to organic production: A survey of producers. Unpublished final report to MAFF, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

  • Mishra, S. (1994). Women’s indigenous knowledge of forest management in Orissa (India). Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, Tick A. W. (Ed.), 2(3), 3–5.

  • Morris, C., Hopkins, A., & Winter, M. (2001). Comparison of the social, economic and environmental effects of organic, ICM and conventional farming. Gloucestershire, United Kingdom: CCRU Cheltenham and Gloucester College of HE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niemeyer, K., & Lombard, J. (2003). Identifying problems and potential of the conversion to organic farming in South Africa. Paper presented at the 41st annual conference of AEASA, October 2003, Pretoria, South Africa. http://www.organicagcentre.ca/DOCs/res_policy_Niemeyer.pdf.

  • Padel, S. (2001). Conversion to organic farming: A typical example of the diffusion of an innovation? Sociologia Ruralis, 41(1), 40–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettinger, C., Holdsworth, M., & Gerber, M. (2004). Psycho-social influences on food choice in Southern France and Central England. Appetite, 42(3), 307–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rigby, D., Young, T., & Burton, M. (2001). The development of and prospects for organic farming in the UK. Food Policy, 26(6), 599–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shadbolt, N., Kelly, T., & Holmes, C. (2004). Organic dairy farming: Cost of production and profitability, AFBMNetwork Conference.

  • Sharifi-moghadam, M. (2010). Organic agricultural development with farmer field school. Available at: www.organic.wpb.ir.

  • Svensson, I. (1991). Governmental subsidy to organic farming 1989: ‘‘A mail inquiry’’. Alternativ-Odling, 7, 88–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, A. (2006). Overview of the current state of organic agriculture in Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania and the opportunities for regional harmonization. Prepared under the CBTF project ‘promoting production and trading opportunities for organic agricultural products in East Africa’ United Nations, New York and Geneva, 2006.

  • Van den Ban, A., & Hawkins, H. (1988). Agricultural extension. Harlow, Essex, UK: Longman Scientific & Technical.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilegel, W. J. (2009). Adoption of Organic Farming Systems in Missouri. Master of Science Thesis. University of Missouri-Columbia.

  • Wynen, E., & Edwards, G. (1990). Towards a comparison of chemical-free and conventional farming in Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 34(1), 39–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakowska-Biemans, S. (2009). Factors underlying consumption of organic food in the opinion of Polish consumers. Agronomy Research, 7, 768–774.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks are expressed to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Maryam Omidi Najafabadi

Authors
  1. Maryam Omidi Najafabadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maryam Omidi Najafabadi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Najafabadi, M.O. A Gender Sensitive Analysis Towards Organic Agriculture: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. J Agric Environ Ethics 27, 225–240 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-013-9461-z

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-013-9461-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation