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TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ORGANIC HORTICULTURE ADOPTION BY THE KYRGYZ FARMERS
M.I. Sagynalieva1, Postgraduate Student
A.B. Karbekova2, Professor
M.Zh. Karbekova3, Postgraduate Student
institute of Economics named after Academician J. Alyshbaeva of the National Academy
of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic
2Jalal-Abad State University named after B. Osmonov
3K.Sh. Toktomamatov International University
1(Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek)
2,3(Kyrgyzstan, Jalal-Abad)
DOI:10.24412/2411-0450-2023-6-2-133-137
Abstract. The main purpose of the study is to explore the challenges and potential the Kyrgyz farmers could experience towards the adoption of organic agriculture. In the selected case the adoption performance of the farmers in the Kyrgyz Republic in relation to organic agriculture is studied by applying the innovation adoption or diffusion model. The research methods used are the descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The study findings demonstrate that the adoption model is able to explore the challenges and potential the farmers could face towards the adoption of organic agriculture. One of the conclusions is that the main challenges to the farm-ersto adopt organic agriculture are to meet the product quality and certification requirements.
Keywords: organic agriculture, farming practices, organic certification, environmentally friendly farming practices.
At present, organic agriculture is viewed to be a growing trend in the agriculture and food sector across the world. According to the study held by Willer and Lernoud, since 2000 the global markets of organic products have been expanded in an ascending order, including the land size, the number of organic producers and retails sales by increasing from 15 million ha to 72 million ha, from 0,25 million to 2,8 million producers, and from 15 million Euro to 97 million Euro, respectively. Moreover, it is claimed that organic agriculture has become a multifunctional innovative construct that includes the principles of organic agriculture with respect primarily to environmental protection, the ethical standards, the regulatory compliance of food safety at national and international levels, acquisition of new knowledge, skills and practices to manage the organic farming practices (Nandwani et al., 2016; Newton, 2004; Kris-tiansen and Merfield, 2006) [1]. With regard to the Kyrgyz Republic, it is worth to noting that during the period in 2004-2018, the total organic area, including an arable area of cotton, fruit, and vegetables, was intensively ex-
panded from 341 ha to 22,117 ha, respectively as well as a number of organic farmers noticeably increased from 38 to 1,107 (Willer and Lernoud, 2019). This demonstrates that there is the potential of the development of organic agriculture in the Kyrgyz Republic because the corresponding conditions are supposed to be available.
The purpose of the article is to explore what challenges and potential the Kyrgyz farmers experience towards the adoption of organic agriculture by taking into account the diffusion of innovation as an adoption model developed by the American sociologists (Roger, 1983). The reason is that the model is able to demonstrate individuals' performance towards the adoption of an innovation or a new idea by identifying individual characteristics of farmers, the special features of the innovation, the time frame, and the relevant external conditions (Padel, 2001) [2].
The most prominent work by Padel (2001) provides a critical review of studies on organic agriculture, and the results showed that in most of the reviewed studies the adoption model was able to reveal the similarities of
the personal or socio-demo graphic characteristics between the organic farmers and innovators, as well the organic farming features and practices can also explain the adoption performance of a farmer in reference to organic agriculture. In order to find out how the adoption model can be applicable for the Kyrgyz farmers, a significant number of studies conducted in developed countries (USA, Europe, Australia) and developing ones (Jordan, Iran, Tanzania, Philippines and others) are reviewed. According to the review of studies, the main common characteristics applicable to organic farmers are presented as follows: Individual characteristics: According to the adoption model, the individual or socio-demographic characteristics such as age, the educational level and gender can play the main roles in decision making whether to adopt an innovation or not. T.
Organic farming characteristics: By reference to farm size, the large number of studies concludes that the organic farmers are mainly the small-scale producers with a land area of no more than 2 ha (Torres and Marshall, 2018; Azam and Shaheen, 2018; Grabs et al., 2016; Casagrande et al., 2016; Alta-rawneh, 2016; Wheeler, 2008; Macintyre et al., 2008; Parrott et al., 2006; Locke, 2006; Genius et al., 2006; Schneeberger et al., 2002; Padel, 2001) [3].
Organic farming practices: According to Torres and Marshall (2018) and Veldstra et al. (2014) in the United States, by Altarawneh in Jordan (2016), by Parrott et al. (2006) in several developing countries, by Sharifi et al. (2010) in Iran, Sterte (2011) in Sweden, by Njeru (2015) in Kenya, by Casagrande et al.
(2016) in Europe, by David and Ardiansyah
(2017) in Indonesia, and by Azam and Shaheen (2019), the adoption performance of a farmer also depends on crop diversity.
Organic product quality requirements and certification: The organic certification, food standards, and organic labeling rules have turned out to be the distinctive features that separated the organic from non-organic products at the markets. Though the organic certification has been currently presented as one of the innovations (Freyer and Bingen, 2011; Parrott et al., 2006; Padel, 2001), at the
same time it has been arguably referred to be one of the main challenges explicitly for the small-scale farmers to convert to organic agriculture (Gunasekaran and Murugan, 2020; Piao et al., 2020; Wheeler, 2008).
Methodology.The paper mainly applies an empirical research method given in the literature which mainly covers the studies on organic agriculture along with an adoption model. Descriptive statistics is mainly presented to verify the given characteristics.
Data and sample: The "Life in Kyrgyz-stan" Study (Life in Kyrgyzstan, 2016) is a research database of about 3000 households and 8000 individuals interviewed in 2016 in seven oblasts of the Kyrgyz Republic. In this paper, the responses from individuals and households who live in rural areas are only analyzed. In the database the following data is derived: data on individual characteristics such as age, education, gender, is used from the individual questionnaire, while data on farming characteristics from the household questionnaire, and farming practices, product quality and certification requirements from the agriculture questionnaire.
The findings. Individual characteristics: As seen in Table 1, there are responses of 5847 rural residents at the age from 18 years to 92 years old. The mean value of the age concentration is 39,25 years. In relation to gender, the response 1 relates to male and the response 2 - female where the number of male and female respondents is equal because the mean value is 1,50 between 1 and 2. The responses on education range from 1 to 7: illiterate (1), primary (2), basic (3), secondary general (4), primary technical (5), secondary (6) and university degree (7). The mean value of education level, as shown in Table 1, is concentrated on 4,31, or about 70% out of 5213 rural individuals on education level have general secondary education [4].
Farming characteristics: Table 2 shows that the land size of 2518 households varies from 0,0004 ha to 24 ha, and the mean value of farm size concentration is 0,69 ha. On ownership of the land plot, only 1464 households provide responses 'yes' (1) or 'no' (2) where the mean of the concentration is 1,05.
Table 1. Descriptive Statistics of Farming Characteristics
Variable N Mean Std. Dev Min Max
Land size (ha) 2518 0,69 1,45 ,0004 24,000
Private ownership 1464 1,05 0,22 1 2
Farming practices: in Table 3, the mean values of responses of 1937 households on how many times (from 0 to 4 times) they sprayed their land plots with herbicide and insecticide are equal to 0,20 and 0,23 re-
spectively, while the same number of respondents on the use of fertilizers in terms of 1 ('yes') and 2 ('no') answers, the mean value is 1,76.
Table 2. Descriptive Statistics of Farming Practices and Product Quality requirements
Variable N Mean Std. Dev Min Max
How many times was the field sprayed with herbicide? 1937 0,20 0,51 0 4
How many times was the field sprayed with insecticide? 1937 0,23 0,64 0 4
Did the household use fertilizers to cultivate this field? 1937 1,76 0,42 1 2
Did the household apply animal manure and compost to the field? 1854 1,36 0,48 1 2
The requirements on product quality and certification 1161 1,79 0,41 1 2
In relation to the application of animal manure and compost, the mean value is 1,36 in terms of total responses given by 1854 households - 1 ('yes') and 2 ('no'). In relation to cropping patterns, Figure 1 demonstrates 26
30% 2S% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
With respect to the product quality and certification requirements, Table 3 illustrates that, in total, the mean value of requirements on product quality and certification' concentration is 0,21 from 1161 households in terms of the responses - 1 ('yes, meets') and 2 ('no, does not meet').
Analysis and Discussion of the Findings. According to the findings on the individual characteristics of the Kyrgyz farmers and their households, the average age of the respondents is 39-40 years and deviates ± 16. Under the adoption model, it is defined that
% of all food crops 1937 households cultivate are potatoes. Other crops planted are maize, tomato, sainfoin, apple, and kitchen garden which account for 12%, 9%, 9% 8% and 7% of all food crops accordingly [5].
individuals at the age of younger than 40 are more inclined to engage in applying an innovation in practice. Therewith, according to the studies done by Lee et al. (2016) and Genius et al. (2006), the experienced farmers were more sensitive and open to address and share the environmental issues because they have already dealt with the hazardous effects of the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on human and animal health. as well on soil fertility to a greater extent. In general, the level of education is low among the Kyrgyz farmers and their households. In other words, due
Figure 1. Cropping patterns
to the lack of higher education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the farmers might have had no opportunities to understand and elaborate the benefits organic agriculture could offer in the short- and long-term perspectives. Because, according to the adoption model, the level of education is presented as an influencing aspect in assessing the long-term advantages of an innovation. According to the findings on land size. 2518 farmers, the mean value of the farm size is 0.69 or 0.26 ha per farm. This means that most of the Kyrgyz farmers can be presented as the small-scale farm holders. Consequently, the Kyrgyz small-scale farmers are suggested to have been more inclined to adopt organic agriculture. In reference to the ownership of land, the findings revealed that the mean value of private ownership of 1464 households is equal to 1.05 that means the households are the legal owners of land plots. As a result, the ownership of land is suggested to be the potential for the majority of the Kyrgyz farmers to adopt organic agriculture [6].
The findings on the farming practices the Kyrgyz farmers applied in 2016 show that most Kyrgyz farmers did not use to a greater extent the chemical material such as herbicide. insecticide and fertilizers to batten their fields. In addition to this, the findings on the use of animal manure and compost, the farmers applied the environmentally friendly or organic fertilizers.
The findings on the requirements on product quality and certification demonstrate that
most households did not meet the requirements on product quality and certification. This means that these requirements would challenge to a greater extent the Kyrgyz farmers towards the adoption of organic agriculture.
Conclusion. The article provides an overview of the study case about the Kyrgyz farmers' adoption performance towards organic agriculture, including horticulture. According to the findings, the Kyrgyz farmers had more potential opportunities to adopt organic agriculture under the adoption model for the following reasons. First, though the farmers' individual characteristics did not comply fully with requirements of the adoption model such as the young age and a university level of education. the Kyrgyz farmers could be inclined to adopt organic agriculture because of the availability of the accumulated farming experience as well. Second, the farming characteristics and practices and the cropping patterns the Kyrgyz farmers employed were similar to the organic farming practices, and a diversity of the food crops is identical to that of the organic farmers mainly plant. Third, the only biggest challenges were revealed to be the product quality and certification requirements for the Kyrgyz farmers. But these issues could be solved if the small-scale farmers could get the multilateral support from and active engagement of the representatives of the governmental agencies, business sector, and international organizations in the process of the adoption of organic agriculture.
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ПУТИ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ СЕЛЬСКИХ РАЙОНОВ ПОСРЕДСТВОМ ВНЕДРЕНИЯ ОРГАНИЧЕСКОГО САДОВОДСТВА КЫРГЫЗСКИМИ
ФЕРМЕРАМИ
М.И. Сагыналиева1, аспирант А.Б. Карбекова2, профессор М.Ж. Карбекова3, аспирант
1Институт экономики имени академика Дж. Алышбаева Национальной академии наук КР
2Жалал-Абадский государственный университет им. Б. Осмонова 3Международный университет им. К.Ш. Токтомаматова ^Кыргызстан, г. Бишкек) 2'3(Кыргызстан, г. Жалал-Абад)
Аннотация. Основная цель исследования: изучение проблем, потенциалов и возможностей, возникающих у кыргызских фермеров при внедрении органического сельского хозяйства. В выбранном случае эффективность внедрения фермерами в Кыргызской Республике органического сельского хозяйства изучается с применением инновационных моделей внедрения и их распространения. В качестве методов исследования используются описательная статистика и корреляционный анализ. Результаты исследования показывают, что модель внедрения способна изучить проблемы и потенциал, с которыми могут столкнуться фермеры при внедрении органического сельского хозяйства. Одним из выводов является, что основные проблемы, с которыми сталкиваются фермеры при внедрении органического сельского хозяйства, заключается в соблюдения требований к качеству продукции и сертификации.
Ключевые слова: органическое сельское хозяйство, методы ведения сельского хозяйства, органическая сертификация, экологически чистые методы ведения сельского хозяйства.
