Technological adoption among organic Spanish farmers

Organic farming in Spain has begun to develop during the last decade due to the growing farmers' concern about the negative impacts of conventional farming and a limited but promising demand for organic products. In order to analyse the determinants of the decision to adopt organic farming techniques in Spain, a survey of 222 farmers was conducted and a probit model was used to determine the impact of economic and non economic factors on a farmers' decision of adoption. Results indicate that farmers who believe strongly in the positive effects of organic farming as a sustainable agriculture providing enough food and fibre for the society, who are members of a producer group or associtaion organisation and with lower sales level, are more likely to adopt organic farming techniques in the horticultural sector.