Factors Affecting Sustainable Rice Farming:The Case of Rice Farmers in the Mazandaran Province, Iran

Abstract

In recent years, the production of high-yielding rice varieties in the Mazandaran province due to lack of attention in the environmental issues, has led to undesirable consequences. According to the key role of the farmers in the performanceof the sustainable agriculture principles, and the importance of their sustainability practices, the present study aimed to identify the factors affecting sustainability behavior of farmers regarding high-yielding rice varieties farming in the Mazandaran province. This study is based on survey method and statistical sample is selected 270 rice farmers of Amol, Babol and Sari counties in this province. Data were collected using questionnaire. The most important findings of the study shows that there is a positive and significant relationship between the managerial features, putting the value of the reference group opinions, sustainability attitudes, access to educational-extension and communicational factors, access to inputs and feasibility of sustainable agriculture methods, and farmers’ behavior regarding sustainability. Based on the results, feasibility of sustainable agriculture methods, access to educational-extensionand communicational factors, managerial features, putting the value of the reference group opinions and sustainability attitudes, explain 49% of sustainability behavior variations. Some recommendations have been provided based on the findings.