Psychological factors affecting farmers' intention to diversify agricultural products (Case study: Khorramabad Township)

In relation to agricultural development, “diversification” is probably one of the most frequently used terms in the recent decade. Product diversification is often presented as a strategy to improve the sustainability of agricultural production systems, which can lead to a reduction in the use of inputs - pesticides, fertilizers, water and environmental damage - with good management.  However, despite the benefits of diversification in terms of environmental and economic sustainability, this type of farming system has not yet been accepted among farmers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological factors affecting farmers' intention to diversify agricultural products. To achieve this goal, the theory of planned behavior was used as the main framework. The statistical population of this study was consisted of all wheat farmers in Khoram Abad Township (N = 17623) that using Krejcie & Morgan table, the sample size was determined (n=375). To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with AMOS 24 software package. The results showed that attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control have a positive relationship with farmers' intention to diversify agricultural products. In addition, the results showed that the subjective norm had the most direct effect and behavioral beliefs had the most indirect effect on farmers' intention.