Research on the Factors That Impact Farmer Behaviors and Decisions: From Socioeconomic Perspective

A special issue of World (ISSN 2673-4060).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 15193

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Khuzestan 6341773637, Mollasani, Iran
2. Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0310, USA
3. International Institute for Applied System Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Interests: farmer decision making; innovation adoption; rural development; climate change adaptation; innovation; water management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
International Institute for Applied System Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Interests: climate change adaptation; farmer desicion making; disaster risk reduction; environmental behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Rural Development Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, Yasouj 7591874831, Iran
Interests: sustainable agriculture; conflict management; rural development

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Guest Editor
1. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, (ZALF), 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
2. Division Urban Plant Ecophysiology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Interests: resource conflicts; social cohesion; adoption; co-design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the 21st century, environmental challenges are one of the most important and acute problems of human civilization, among which the agricultural sector, as one of the main beneficiaries of the environment, is one of the most challenging factors. Soil erosion, soil and water salinization, deforestation and increased greenhouse gas emissions have adverse effects on the environment. Evidence shows that most technical efforts have failed to effectively prevent the increasing degradation of the environment. Hence, many believe that the solution to environmental crises should be sought in changing human behavior and decision-making methods on earth. Therefore, changing behavior is very important to avoid these challenges. Farmers' behavior can be influenced by economic factors, various institutional mechanisms such as legal instruments, economic rewards, counseling and voluntary collective action, or individual factors. Socioeconomic background such as income, education and farm structure as well as psychological factors also have great influence on farmers' decisions to change their behavior.

Therefore, the purpose of this collection is to investigate the various socioeconomic variables and psychological factors affecting changes of behavior and farmers' decisions to reduce environmental degradation and lead them to proenvironmental behaviors.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Socioeconomic and psychological factors affecting farmers’ decision to adopt conservation agriculture.;
  • Socioeconomic and psychological affecting farmers’ adaptation to climate change;
  • Socioeconomic and psychological affecting farmers’ decision to adopt water conservation;
  • Socioeconomic factors affecting decision making in farm management;
  • Socioeconomic factors affecting farmers’ decision making in off-farm activities.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Masoud Yazdanpanah
Dr. Tahereh Zobeidi
Dr. Mostafa Ahmadvand
Dr. Katharina Löhr
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • climate change adaptation
  • water management
  • renewable energy
  • low-carbon energy
  • energy–environment nexus
  • sustainable environment
  • farm management
  • environmental behavior

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 244 KiB  
Article
Needs Analysis and Payback Models for Tractor Design Based on Field Data from Farmers in Sudan
by Hamza Ahmed and Erika E. Miller
World 2023, 4(4), 698-708; https://doi.org/10.3390/world4040044 - 27 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1375
Abstract
The adoption of agricultural machinery in countries with a developing economy can have a significant impact on improving well-being and pro-poor growth. However, this requires farmers to buy into mechanized farming, which is more likely to happen if the machinery meets their needs. [...] Read more.
The adoption of agricultural machinery in countries with a developing economy can have a significant impact on improving well-being and pro-poor growth. However, this requires farmers to buy into mechanized farming, which is more likely to happen if the machinery meets their needs. The objective of this paper is to identify deciding factors for traditional farmers to adopt machinery and identify design requirements. Payback models were developed based on these design requirements, willingness to pay, and expected returns. Thirty-six farmers in Sudan were interviewed throughout 2019–2021. Six of these farmers were provided tractors during 2020 and 2021. Differences in net-profits between the 30 control and 6 treatment farms during the mechanized farming seasons were used in the models for expected profits. There were no significant differences in tractor design preferences between the treatment and control groups. Two cost models were estimated using a 95% confidence interval: entire Δ profit (entire additional profit from mechanized farming above nonmechanized) and percentage of total profit (percentage of total net-profits willing to spend). For the average farm size in this study (44.39 acres) and a market available tractor that satisfied all farmer needs, payback was 3.92 years [2.34, 8.54] and 4.57 years [3.39, 6.38] for the models, respectively. Full article
17 pages, 2932 KiB  
Article
Riverbank Erosion and Rural Food Security in Bangladesh
by Md Masum Billah, Abahan Majumdar, Syed Mohammad Aminur Rahman, Mohammad Shah Alam, Md Jamal Hossain, Joynulalom Talukder, Md Mohidul Islam and Tahmida Khanam
World 2023, 4(3), 528-544; https://doi.org/10.3390/world4030033 - 21 Aug 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7426
Abstract
The erosion of riverbanks has a negative impact on many nations across the world, costing them land, buildings, food, fish, and other living things, which forces people to relocate. Both the frequency and severity of riverbank erosion are alarming in Bangladesh. In Zajira [...] Read more.
The erosion of riverbanks has a negative impact on many nations across the world, costing them land, buildings, food, fish, and other living things, which forces people to relocate. Both the frequency and severity of riverbank erosion are alarming in Bangladesh. In Zajira Upazila, a baseline investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of river erosion on the local availability of food. The results show how erosion threatens the majority of residents in the research territory. Additionally, as a consequence of the depletion of farmland brought on by the disaster and its effects, crop production is steadily dropping. Occasionally, people lose whole properties, leaving them with few employment options and little spending power. As a result, they are always in danger of experiencing a shortage of food. The suffering people use various coping strategies to deal with these challenging circumstances, such as shifting to cheaper or less appealing eating options. Despite the fact that local governing bodies have put in place various programs to help them, including food assistance and social protection programs, these are inadequate because of the government’s constrained organizational assets and competence The study’s findings will aid scientists and decision-makers in Bangladesh and abroad in better comprehending the requirements of vulnerable riverine populations and in designing programs that would increase those societies’ food safety Therefore, these results imply that developing and implementing efficient rural development strategies could increase the food security of those residing in Bangladeshi regions threatened by riverbank erosion. Full article
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18 pages, 9763 KiB  
Article
The Neglected Solutions: Local Farming Systems for Sustainable Development in the Amazon
by Gabriel da Silva Medina and Claudio Wilson Soares Barbosa
World 2023, 4(1), 153-170; https://doi.org/10.3390/world4010011 - 14 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2690
Abstract
The productive inclusion of local communities is one of the main challenges to sustainable rural development in the Amazon. Existing development initiatives often prioritize projects with exogenous production systems; thus, local systems are overlooked, despite their large coverage. Based on surveys conducted in [...] Read more.
The productive inclusion of local communities is one of the main challenges to sustainable rural development in the Amazon. Existing development initiatives often prioritize projects with exogenous production systems; thus, local systems are overlooked, despite their large coverage. Based on surveys conducted in 107 riparian communities and detailed case studies in eight communities doing ranching, logging, and fishing, this study describes local management systems developed by rural communities in the confluence between the Amazon and Xingu Rivers. The study showed that (1) local management systems for buffalo ranching, logging, and fishing agreements were found in 61%, 60%, and 21% of the 107 riparian communities, respectively; (2) these systems are based on local know-how and on technological solutions that are locally available; and (3) the improvement and consolidation of these local systems require governmental support. The study reveals that local and traditional farming practices may underpin sustainable development in the Amazon. Full article
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18 pages, 11271 KiB  
Article
Identifying Positive Deviant Farms Using Pareto-Optimality Ranking Technique to Assess Productivity and Livelihood Benefits in Smallholder Dairy Farming under Contrasting Stressful Environments in Tanzania
by Dismas Said Shija, Okeyo A. Mwai, Perminus Karubiu Migwi, Daniel M. Komwihangilo and Bockline Omedo Bebe
World 2022, 3(3), 639-656; https://doi.org/10.3390/world3030035 - 5 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2714
Abstract
In smallholder dairy-cattle farming, identifying positive deviants that attain outstanding performance can inform targeted improvements in typical, comparable farms under similar environmental stresses. Mostly, positive deviants are identified subjectively, introducing bias and limiting generalisation. The aim of the study was to objectively identify [...] Read more.
In smallholder dairy-cattle farming, identifying positive deviants that attain outstanding performance can inform targeted improvements in typical, comparable farms under similar environmental stresses. Mostly, positive deviants are identified subjectively, introducing bias and limiting generalisation. The aim of the study was to objectively identify positive deviant farms using the Pareto-optimality ranking technique in a sample of smallholder dairy farms under contrasting stressful environments in Tanzania to test the hypothesis that positive deviant farms that simultaneously outperform typical farms in multiple performance indicators also outperform in yield gap, productivity and livelihood benefits. The selection criteria set five performance indicators: energy balance ≥ 0.35 Mcal NEL/d, disease-incidence density ≤ 12.75 per 100 animal-years at risk, daily milk yield ≥ 6.32 L/cow/day, age at first calving ≤ 1153.28 days and calving interval ≤ 633.68 days. Findings proved the hypothesis. A few farms (27: 3.4%) emerged as positive deviants, outperforming typical farms in yield gap, productivity and livelihood benefits. The estimated yield gap in typical farms was 76.88% under low-stress environments and 48.04% under high-stress environments. On average, total cash income, gross margins and total benefits in dairy farming were higher in positive deviants than in typical farms in both low- and high-stress environments. These results show that the Pareto-optimality ranking technique applied in a large population objectively identified a few positive deviant farms that attained higher productivity and livelihood benefits in both low- and high-stress environments. However, positive deviants invested more in inputs. With positive deviant farms objectively identified, it is possible to characterise management practices that they deploy differently from typical farms and learn lessons to inform the uptake of best practices and extension messages to be directed to improving dairy management. Full article
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