This study analyzed information-seeking behaviour and adoption of organic .farming practices among vegetable farmers in South-Western Nigeria. This is based on the fact that conventional intensive agricultural systems have side-effects which compromise food production in terms of quality and safety. As a result many are now stating that conventional agriculture represents an unsuitable long-term option. Specifically, the study identified the personal characteristics of the farmers, profile organic farming practices, determined the sources of information about organic agricultural practices, evaluated the attitude of vegetable growers towards organic agriculture, and identified factors that influence farmers' adoption of organic agriculture, estimated the adoption rate for organic agricultural practices and determined the knowledge of value chain among vegetable farmers. The research design of the study is descriptive and quantitative. The population of the study was the entire population of vegetable farmers in /he South Western Nigeria. A cluster sampling technique was used to select 450 farmers covering three out of six states present in South Western Nigeria. Data for this study was generated from primary sources based on the objective of the study. A structured questionnaire consisting of seven sections comprising sections namely: personal characteristics, profile organic farming practices, altitude of vegetable growers towards organic agriculture, factors influencing farmers' adoption of organic agriculture, source of information about organic agricultural practices, intensity of adoption of organic agriculture technologies and knowledge of value chain among vegetable farmers was used to collect data. The questionnaire was face validated by panel of experts on agricultural extension. agronomist and organic agricultural research. Data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 18.0. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution and percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to describe the personal characteristics of vegetable farmers. Ranking was used to identify the prominent source of information used by the farmers. Tables were used to analyze the data and enhance the readability of the results. The statistical tools used in the analysis are probit model, ordinal regression model and linear regression model. The results showed that majority of the respondents were male between 40 and 49 years of age married and had family household sizes of 6 to 10 members. Most of the farmers possess secondary education as their highest educational qualification; they also have a working experience of 1-15 years. The results further showed that the farm size ranges between 0. 5-3.4 acres (80.4%): and most commonly used organic farming practices are tillage (80. 9%), crop rotation (80.7%). sanitation (69.8%), and inter-cropping (66.2%), and green manure (60.9%) cover crop (55.8%), and .fire (53. 6%). The results revealed the most prominent attitudinal statement as ranked by the farmers were statements that organic agriculture improves soil fertility and soil structure · (M=4.38), 'organic agriculture encourages the use of indigenous knowledge' (M=4.38). Furthermore, the results on adoption intensity showed that nine out of fourteen organic farming technologies studied were practiced on 50% acres of land. These include crop rotation, cover crop, animal manures among others. Factors influencing the intensity of adoption of organic agriculture practices frequency of contact (t= -1.01, p<0.01) with extension agent, farming experience (t= .064, p<0.01), farm size (t= .282, p<0.01), age (t= -.028. p<0.05) and subsidy received (t= 1.494. p<0.1). The study among others recommends that the constraints limiting the adoption and !he intensity of adoption of organic farming practices must be removed. / Thesis (Phd Agric Ext.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2013

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconson--Madison, 1984. / Cover title. Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-122).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 83 p. : ill. (some col.), maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-83).

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-173). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

No description available.

M. Comm. (Financial Management) / The threats of climate change have become too serious to ignore. It has thus become necessary for humans to consider the environmental impact of their decisions, including the decision regarding which agricultural practices to use. Organic agriculture is believed to be a mitigating factor when it comes to climate change. It has the additional benefit of contributing to human health due to the fact that the consumption of organically grown food reduces exposure to potentially harmful pesticides. In this study the perceptions of organic farmers regarding the benefits and disadvantages of organic agriculture, from a financial and nonfinancial perspective, were gauged. A convenience sample of 26 farmers was obtained. The utility of a convenience sample was necessary due to the unavailability of a complete database of organic farms in South Africa. The results of the study indicated that the non-financial benefits of organic agriculture were considered to be the most important consideration for the decision to farm organically irrespective the high input cost associated with it. Indeed, high input costs were identified as the greatest disadvantage of organic agriculture. The results of the study contribute to the existing body of knowledge of the trade-off between the financial and non-financial benefits of organic agriculture in South Africa.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 295-304).

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organic agriculture is a growing sector world wide due to the ecological and SOCIOeconomic crisis in conventional agriculture. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (!FOAM) estimated a growth rate of between 20 and 30 percent annually across the world. This trend is also detectable in South Africa although it is still a relatively new movement. During the last two years the number of farmers who had converted to organic farming has increased sixfold and although they still account only for a minute small percentage of the total agricultural production, the increasing importance of this sector can now be observed. This was the reason for this study, which dealt specifically with the conversion process to organic farming. Based on survey results, knowledge was gathered about organic farmers in South Africa concerning sociodemographic aspects, farming operations, motivations and problems of the conversion process. In the second part of the study, the focus was placed on three farming systems in the Western Cape, including pome fruit, vegetables and table grapes. Six farms were evaluated on the basis of technical, social and economic aspects of the conversion period. Several differences were observed between organic and conventional farmers, including a higher level of education and a younger age of organic farmers. Mainly horticultural holdings were converted, with a potential for exporting. Problems farmers had to face during the conversion period included the lack of knowledge and information, higher weed infestation and high certification and inspection costs. On most of the farms it was still too early to assess the financial impacts of the conversion, but where it was possible, the feedback was mainly positive. The changes that took place during the conversion period included technical changes such as the approach to pest and disease control, fertilization and seed inputs. Essential investments at the beginning of the conversion period were a financial burden. Variable costs rose mainly as a result of an increase in labour and machinery input. The conversion period had no obvious impact on the fixed costs and thus the net farm income. With respect to these findings it was recommended to support the conversion to organic farming not only financially with different instruments such as subsidies for certification costs but also to develop an improved infrastructure for marketing, networking and information exchange. Several areas for research were identified to increase the knowledge of organic farming in the South African context. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organiese boerdery is wêreldwyd 'n groeiende bedryf as gevolg van die ekologiese en sosioekonomiese krisis waarin konvensionele landbou verkeer. Die International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (lFOAM) het die groeikoers op tussen 20 en 30 persent per jaar wêreldwyd beraam. Hierdie neiging is ook in Suid-Afrika waar te neem, alhoewel dit hier nog' n relatief nuwe beweging is. Gedurende die afgelope twee jaar het die getal boere wat na organiese boerderyomgeskakel het, sesvoudig toegeneem. Alhoewel hulle nog 'n baie klein persentasie bydra tot die totale landbouproduksie, is die toenemende belangrikheid van die bedryf waarneembaar. Dit was die beweegrede vir hierdie studie, wat spesifiek klem gelê het op die omskakelingsproses na organiese boerdey. Beskrywende inligting oor organiese boere in Suid-Afrika, soos sosio-demografiese eienskappe, boerdery-aktiwiteite, motiverings en probleme met die omskakelingsproses, is met behulp van 'n opname verkry. In die tweede gedeelte van die ondersoek is daar op drie boerderystelsels in die Wes-Kaap gefokus, naamlik vrugte, groente en tafeldruiwe. Ses boerderye is aan die hand van tegniese, sosiale en ekonomiese aspekte van die omskakelingsperiode geëvalueer. Verskeie verskille is waargeneem tussen organiese en konvensionele boere, insluitend 'n hoër vlak van opvoeding en 'n jonger ouderdom van organiese boere. Hoofsaaklik boerderye in die hortologie, met uitvoer moontlikhede is omgeskakel. Van die probleme wat boere gedurende die omskakelingsperiode ondervind het, het 'n gebrek aan kennis en inligting, hoër voorkoms van onkruid, asook hoë sertifiserings- en inspeksiekoste ingesluit. By die meeste van die boerderye was dit nog te vroeg om die finansiële impak van omskakeling te kon beoordeel, maar waar dit tog moontlik was, is hoofsaaklik 'n positiewe terugvoer gevind. Die veranderinge wat gedurende die omskakelingsperiode plaasgevind het, het tegniese veranderinge soos die benadering tot pes- en siektebeheer, bemesting en saad ingesluit. Noodsaaklike investerings aan die begin van die omskakelingsperiode het 'n finansiële las tot gevolg gehad. Koste het hoofsaaklik weens 'n toename in arbeid- en masjinerie insette gestyg. Op grond van die bevindinge van die ondersoek is aanbeveel dat ondersteuning vir die omskakeling na organiese boerdery nie net finansieel deur middel van verskillende instrumente soos subsidies vir sertifiseringskoste gegee word nie, maar om ook 'n verbeterde infrastruktuur vir bemarking, netwerke en inligtingsuitruiling te ontwikkel. Verskeie gebiede vir verdere navorsing IS geïdentifiseer om kennis oor orgamese boerdery in die Suid- Afrikaanse konteks uit te brei.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McGill University. / Written for the Dept. of Sociology. Typewritten MS.