Social learning in organic and conventional farming: a comparative analysis

Abstract

This study revealed and comparatively analyzed the importance of social learning in the learning process in organic and conventional agricultural enterprises. The primary data obtained from a questionnaire survey conducted with 120 farmers from Gaziantep center and surrounding districts according to the Simple Random Sampling Method constituted the main material of this study. To be able to apply various parametric tests, the data were tested for conformity to normal distribution and homogeneity of variances, and it was determined that the data did not show normal distribution. Since parametric tests cannot be used in data that are not suitable for normal distribution, Chisquare and Mann-Whitney U test were used to see whether there is a significant difference in the answers given by farmers to the questions according to the status of organic production or not. According to the findings, farmers practicing conventional farming are more in touch with their neighbours about production techniques and strategies than their organic farming counterparts. This study revealed that there are significant differences in knowledge acquisition and social learning processes between organic and conventional farmers in Gaziantep province. The findings support the hypothesis that organic farmers may tend to receive information from more formal and perhaps more modern sources. The results of the study suggested that local and national agricultural policies should adopt a diversified and dynamic approach in line with the changing knowledge needs of farmers.