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Locus of control and farmer orientation: Effects on conservation adoption

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Abstract

Farmers in a southwestern Ontario watershed were surveyed to determine factors influencing their attitudes towards adoption of soil conservation practices. The majority of farmers in the watershed were internally motivated which indicates they believe that their own actions determine their successes and failures. Most respondents were also environmentally oriented. However, although many farmers in the study area have adopted crop rotations and cross-slope tillage, the adoption rate of conservation tillage is low. The survey suggests that the low adoption rate may be more a function of perceived economic risk associated with the tillage practice than lack of farmer motivation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land Resource Science, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    Heather E. McNairn

  2. Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    Bruce Mitchell

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  1. Heather E. McNairn
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  2. Bruce Mitchell
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McNairn, H.E., Mitchell, B. Locus of control and farmer orientation: Effects on conservation adoption. J Agric Environ Ethics 5, 87–101 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01965416

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