Study the factors contributing to the tendency of saffron farmers to cultivate organic saffron

Abstract

In recent decades, due to the universal of organic agriculture around the world, the importance of soil, human and ecosystem health, production of organic and healthy food for the growing population and increasing the country's share in the global markets of organic products, the development of organic agriculture is widespread in Iran. Therefore, in this paper, an attempt has been made to study the tendency to adopt of saffron farmers for production of organic saffron Compared to the conventional product and the factors affecting it. The statistical population of the study is saffron farmers of Torbat-e Heydariyeh and Zaveh. Based on the table of Bartlett et al., the sample size was 380 people. The stratified random sampling method was used for selection of individuals in the community and to analyze the data, the Heckman Tobit two-step model was used. The data gathered from Torbat-e Heydariyeh region’s saffron farmers’ answers to the prepared questionnaire in 2019. Based on the results, the variables of experience, education, consumption of livestock manure and awareness index in the Probit model have a positive and significant effect and the variables of main activity and chemical fertilizer consumption have a negative and significant effect on adopting organic saffron production. The variable of negative attitude towards organic cultivation in the linear regression pattern was significant and positive. Therefore, a negative attitude leads to a tendency of farmers to receive more money for the cultivation of organic saffron. The variables of experience, education and main activity in the linear regression model have a positive and significant effect and the variables of income, farm area and farm age have a negative and significant effect on the willingness of farmers to earn money for organic saffron cultivation. Based on the results, it is suggested that saffron farmers be informed about the management of organic farms, the market for the selling organic products in different ways and prepare requirements for new saffron producers to take benefit from the experiences of skilled saffron producers.