Attitudes, farmer

The involvement of farmers and their attitudes towards transgene confinement protocols and the risk associated with the production of GM crops has not commonly been considered by regulators, yet cooperation between neighbouring farmers may be a fundamental requirement for transgene confinement (Mauro and McLachlan 2003 Riddle, 2004 Tolstrup et al., 2003). The human or cultural element of coexistence management is difficult to characterize and control (Mauro and McLachlan, 2003) and this makes coexistence success difficult to predict. Open communication between neighbours, either formal or informal, is an essential element of a successful coexistence plan (Riddle, 2004). 

Attitude is a predisposition to act in a certain way. It is the state of readiness that influences a person to act in a given manner (Rahman et al. 1999). Therefore, attitude surveys in agriculture could lead to a more adequate explanation and prediction of farmers economic behavior and have been used on conservation and environmentally related issues focusing on the influence of attitude variables as predictors of conservation behavior (Dimara and Skuras 1999). Dimara and Skuras (1999) concluded from their research that a significant relationship was found between behavior and the goals and intentions of farmers. This relationship is even stronger when statements on attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control are included (Bergevoet et al. 2004)... 

Calls for the study of farmers behavior and what motivates that behavior are not new (Gasson 1973). However, the number of studies that have considered farmers attitudes toward conservation (MacDonald 1984) is small. Fewer still have studied farmers conservation actions. Potter (1986) points out that a very limited number have tried to link farmers actions to their underlying motivations, notwithstanding the discourses on the conservation issues in the countryside (Beedell and Rehman 2000). Almost all studies related to the motivational elements of behavior have stressed that the decision to act in a certain way is affected by a balancing or weighing of a number of influences. Lemon and Park (1993) concluded that farmers, when... 

There is consistent evidence in the literature indicating a relationship between farmers attitudes toward environment and their farming practices (Fairweather and... 

Fig. 2.1 Theoretical framework of factors influencing farmers sustainable agricultural attitudes and behaviors (From Karami and Mansoorabadi 2008). According to this theoretical framework, farmers action is guided by two kinds of considerations attitude toward sustainable agriculture and presence of factors that may further or hinder performance of the behavior...

Attitude toward sustainable agriculture Religious and spiritual values, quality of life, access to information, personal characteristics, and attitudes of reference group are the factors, which influence farmers belief system and contribute toward formation of sustainable agricultural beliefs. The framework assumes that religious and spiritual beliefs contribute to farmers attitudes toward sustainability, or... 

Hence, the need for new perspectives has been called for in the study of the adoption and diffusion of sustainable agriculture, with focus on access to, and quality of information (Lovejoy and Napier 1986), the perception of innovations, and the institutional and economic factors related to adoption (Alonge and Martine 1995). Some studies have concluded that it is likely that the successful adoption of conservation practices would be influenced more by a farmers attitude and perception, than any other factor (Alonge and Martine 1995). 

Strategic planning and review discussion paper 1, October, The World Bank, Washington, DC Comer S, Ekanem E, Muhammad S, Singh SP, Tegegne F (1999) Sustainable and conventional farmers a comparison of socio-economic characteristics, attitude, and belief. J Sustain Agric 15(l) 29-45... 

Karami E, Mansoorabadi A (2008) Sustainable agriculture attitudes and behaviors a gender analysis of Iranian farmers. Environ Dev Sustain 10 883-898 Karami E, Rezaei-Moghaddam K (1998) Poverty and sustainable agriculture a qualitative analysis, Roosta va Towse e. Quart J Rural Dev Stud 2(3) 1—29 (in Farsi)... 

Newby H, Bell C, Sanders P, Rose D (1977) Farmers attitudes to conservation. Countryside Recreation Rev 2 23-30... 

Enyong, L.A. Debrah, S.K. and A. Bationo (1999) Farmers perceptions and attitudes towards introduced soil fertility enhancing technologies in western Africa.- Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 53, 177-187. 

Farmers see this situation as being potentially negative for their income, and their main concern is to maintain as much of their competitiveness as possible, even if this means sacrificing environmental issues. No changes are envisaged in social attitudes towards food safety or the goals pursued by farmers... 

Storstad, O. and Bjorkhaug, H. (2(X)3) Foundations of production and consumption of organic food in Norway common attitudes among farmers and consumers Agriculture and Human Values 20, 151-163. 

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