Farmers’ Perceptions of Organic Agriculture in Southern Saudi Arabia
Farmers' Perceptions of Organic Agriculture
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess farmers' perceptions of organic agriculture and to determine the farmers’ level of knowledge regarding organic farming practices. The study also analyzed whether differences in farmers' characteristics influenced their perceptions of organic agriculture. Because little is known about farmers' perceptions of organic agriculture in Jazan Region, a survey was conducted in the Abu Arish governorate in central Jazan. The survey was comprised of a random sample of farmers from the governorate. The farmers’ perceptions regarding organic agriculture were slightly positive, although they had a low level of knowledge about organic farming practices. More than half of the farmers had insufficient knowledge about practicing organic farming. The study’s results showed that farmers who practice organic farming and have networks with other farmers, sources of information, and training in organic agriculture were significantly more likely to have a greater perception of the importance of organic agriculture. Similarly, farmers educated beyond high school and farmers younger than age 40 were significantly more positive about organic farming than other farmers. Understanding farmers’ perceptions of the subject will prepare extension agents to develop better programs in organic agriculture practices. This study concluded that extension agents and policymakers should concentrate on these factors when they develop training programs intended to dispose farmers more favorably toward organic agriculture.Key words: organic agriculture, farmers' perceptions, extension, Saudi Arabia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
JAE supports free online communication and exchange of knowledge as the most effective way of ensuring that the fruits of research and development practice are made widely available. It is therefore committed to open access, which, for authors, enables the widest possible dissemination of their findings and, for readers, increases their ability to discover pertinent information. The Journal adopts and uses the CC BY-NC-ND license. Under this license users are permitted to: Copy and distribute the article (non-commercially); you can’t change or alter the article in anyway; Users are not allowed to data mine the article.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).