Summary
This survey of 176 farmers employed principal component analysis and contingent valuation methods to understand farmer acceptance of organic fertiliser innovations, particularly biochar-compost blends. Five farmer clusters were identified with markedly different attitudes towards organic fertilisers, ranging from opposed to engaged. Counterintuitively, clusters with neutral stances showed significantly higher willingness-to-pay than environmentally committed clusters, suggesting that market segmentation and targeted communication strategies may be more effective than broad sustainability messaging for promoting early adoption.
UK applicability
The findings may be relevant to UK farmers considering organic fertiliser adoption and circular economy practices, though Italian farming context, regulations and market conditions differ from the UK. The segmentation approach and identification of attitude-based barriers could inform UK extension services and policy promoting organic amendments post-Brexit, though UK-specific research would strengthen applicability.
Key measures
Willingness-to-pay (€/tonne, range €1–300); principal component analysis of attitudinal data; farmer cluster classification; preferred application rates (t/ha); dichotomous choice contingent valuation responses
Outcomes reported
The study identified five distinct farmer clusters with differing attitudes towards organic fertilisers and measured their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a biochar-compost blend product. Key findings showed 63.1% of farmers expressed positive WTP, with notable variation in adoption intent across cluster types.
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