Barriers of Organic Agriculture from the Perspective of Agricultural Experts

In recent years, the introduction of technology into agriculture has led to a focus on food safety and health. Unfortunately, this has also jeopardized the main goal of food production. As a result, agricultural experts have become aware of the importance of organic farming, and international protocols and contracts have been put in place to address food safety. To better understand the challenges of developing organic agriculture, a study was conducted using a descriptive-correlational method. Agricultural experts from several organizations in Ardabil Province with bachelor's or master's degrees in agricultural engineering were surveyed. The sample size was 171 individuals, randomly selected within the classes. The questionnaire used to collect data was validated by organic product experts and stakeholders and had a reliability score of 0.76 using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results of the analysis revealed three main challenges to the development of organic agriculture: perceptual, informational, and economic. These challenges accounted for 64.28% of the total variance related to organic agriculture development. The study suggested that the development of information for organic product producers is crucial to overcoming these challenges. Providing education to upgrade the knowledge of producers is also essential for the success of organic agriculture development.