Factors influencing the conversion process to organic farming for tomato producer in Alborz province: Application of discriminant analysis

Although developing countries have a good potential for establishing and expanding organic farming, most such countries are faced with a number of challenges to increasing organic acreages. In fact, farmers have been faced with many challenges when they wish to convert to organic. This paper aims to assess the factors affecting the conversion of tomato producers in Alborz Province to organic production. The statistical population constituted tomato producers in the 2010-2011 crop year. The collected data was analysed using a descriptive, statistical test and discriminant analysis. The results indicated that the average willingness of tomato farmers to organic product is low. They also indicated that familiarity with organic farm management, education, health issues and positive attitudes to environmental variables all have a positive and significant relationship and that age, and chemical fertilizer and pesticides variables have a negative and significance effect on willingness to convert to organic cultivation. The results indicate that, despite of most production methods and technologies, economic factors alone are not the main factor in the adoption and diffusion of organic practices. Thus, for developing organic farming the role of other factors like awareness and information, personal attitudes and interest, technical, technological and managerial skills, social issues, institutional factors like law, regulations, markets and government support must be taken into consideration by government and policymakers.