Psychological perceptions and socioeconomic determinants of organic farming adoption among smallholder farmers in West Bengal

The adoption of organic farming among smallholder farmers is influenced by a complex interaction of socioeconomic conditions, institutional support systems, and farmers’ psychological perceptions. Understanding the socioeconomic and institutional factors such as farmers’ age, psychological framework, educational level, land tenure, access to information and credit facilities are essential in exploring adoption transitions of organic farming in regions dominated by small and marginal landholdings. This study aimed at examining the psychological perceptions and socioeconomic determinants of smallholder farmers regarding organic farming with respect to concept, technology, training, women’s participation and certification system in West Bengal. Small and marginal farmers’ cognitive and psychological perceptual dimensions in decision-making related to five key aspects of organic farming: conceptual understanding, technological feasibility, access to inputs and training, women’s participation, and certification systems have been evaluated by using a structured questionnaire survey complemented by focused group discussions; the analyses from an exploratory rural- sociology outlook on how farmers assess the benefits, risks, and practicality of organic practices within their socioeconomic realities show that positive psychological orientation, higher education, secure land tenure, and better access to information and credit tend to enhance farmers’ willingness to adopt organic farming practices. Conversely, several barriers like limited technical training, the perceived complexity and cost of certification procedures, institutional mistrust, and constraints to land tenure security were identified. Women’s substantial involvement in agriculture contrasts with their under-recognized role in decision- making. Better institutional support, gender-inclusive training programs, simplified certification mechanisms, and improved access to credit are essential to promote sustainable and widespread adoption