How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products
Current trends in the adoption of agricultural innovations aimed at replacing mineral fertilisers with organic fertilisers such as biochar and biochar-compost blends made from various organic wastes have recently been recognised as an important innovation to restore and improve soil fertility and mi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Farming System |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911925000206 |
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| author | Marco Medici Massimiliano Calvia Nicolas Greggio Alessandro Buscaroli Diego Marazza Maurizio Canavari |
| author_facet | Marco Medici Massimiliano Calvia Nicolas Greggio Alessandro Buscaroli Diego Marazza Maurizio Canavari |
| author_sort | Marco Medici |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Current trends in the adoption of agricultural innovations aimed at replacing mineral fertilisers with organic fertilisers such as biochar and biochar-compost blends made from various organic wastes have recently been recognised as an important innovation to restore and improve soil fertility and mitigate environmental impacts while implementing the circular economy. A survey was designed to capture socio-economic characteristics and attitudes of farmers towards the use of organic fertilisers. Attitudinal data from 176 farmers were analysed using exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the components associated with their acceptance. Subsequently, the components and socio-economic data were used to delineate clusters of farmers that were matched with the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a novel organic fertiliser, a biochar-compost blend. WTP was tasted using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation within the range of €1–300 per tonne. A positive WTP for BCmix was expressed by 63.1 % of farmers, with average preferred application rates exceeding 11 t/ha. Five main farmer clusters with different attitudes and appreciation levels for organic fertilisers were identified -The Neutral, The Unready, The Opposed, The Sceptic, and The Engaged-highlighting a range of attitudes and appreciation levels towards organic fertilisers. Interestingly, clusters with a neutral stance towards organic fertilisers showed significantly higher WTP than clusters more actively committed to sustainability, such as The Engaged, a finding that contrasts with prior studies where environmentally committed farmers typically show greater adoption willingness. The study's insights support targeted market segmentation and inform policy and communication strategies to promote the early adoption of organic fertilisers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8ff5e238df8549df91434ef33af078b4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2949-9119 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Farming System |
| spelling | doaj-art-8ff5e238df8549df91434ef33af078b42025-08-20T02:08:02ZengElsevierFarming System2949-91192025-07-013310015610.1016/j.farsys.2025.100156How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative productsMarco Medici0Massimiliano Calvia1Nicolas Greggio2Alessandro Buscaroli3Diego Marazza4Maurizio Canavari5UniLaSalle, InTerACT (UP 2018.C102), Beauvais, France; Corresponding author.Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bozen-Bolzano, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences at Interdepartmental Centre for Environmental Sciences Research, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Ravenna, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences at Interdepartmental Centre for Environmental Sciences Research, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Ravenna, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Bologna, ItalyCurrent trends in the adoption of agricultural innovations aimed at replacing mineral fertilisers with organic fertilisers such as biochar and biochar-compost blends made from various organic wastes have recently been recognised as an important innovation to restore and improve soil fertility and mitigate environmental impacts while implementing the circular economy. A survey was designed to capture socio-economic characteristics and attitudes of farmers towards the use of organic fertilisers. Attitudinal data from 176 farmers were analysed using exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the components associated with their acceptance. Subsequently, the components and socio-economic data were used to delineate clusters of farmers that were matched with the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a novel organic fertiliser, a biochar-compost blend. WTP was tasted using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation within the range of €1–300 per tonne. A positive WTP for BCmix was expressed by 63.1 % of farmers, with average preferred application rates exceeding 11 t/ha. Five main farmer clusters with different attitudes and appreciation levels for organic fertilisers were identified -The Neutral, The Unready, The Opposed, The Sceptic, and The Engaged-highlighting a range of attitudes and appreciation levels towards organic fertilisers. Interestingly, clusters with a neutral stance towards organic fertilisers showed significantly higher WTP than clusters more actively committed to sustainability, such as The Engaged, a finding that contrasts with prior studies where environmentally committed farmers typically show greater adoption willingness. The study's insights support targeted market segmentation and inform policy and communication strategies to promote the early adoption of organic fertilisers.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911925000206AdoptionCluster analysisWillingness-to-payMarket segmentationCircular economyAgricultural innovation |
| spellingShingle | Marco Medici Massimiliano Calvia Nicolas Greggio Alessandro Buscaroli Diego Marazza Maurizio Canavari How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products Farming System Adoption Cluster analysis Willingness-to-pay Market segmentation Circular economy Agricultural innovation |
| title | How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products |
| title_full | How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products |
| title_fullStr | How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products |
| title_full_unstemmed | How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products |
| title_short | How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products |
| title_sort | how do farmers value organic fertilisers an exploratory study on conventional and innovative products |
| topic | Adoption Cluster analysis Willingness-to-pay Market segmentation Circular economy Agricultural innovation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911925000206 |
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