The main aim of this paper was to investigate factors affecting the adoption of pressurized irrigation technology among Roudbar County olive farmers by path-structural modeling and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Data were collected through an information technology questionnaire addressing a cross section of 210 managers of olive farms (4.18% of the statistical population) in the Roudbar County, Northern Iran. Validity of the questionnaire was proofed using several tests (content, face, convergent and discriminant). Likewise, reliability of the questionnaire was tested employing principal component analysis, Cronbach's alpha, Dillon-Goldstein's ʃ and reagent stability. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of the data was accomplished using SPSS V19 and SmartPLS V3 software. For testing hypotheses, structural equation model and partial least squares that focus on reagent variance were used. Results show a significant relationship between: (a) performance expectancy and behavioral intention, (b) social influence and behavioral intention, (c) facilitating conditions and use behavior. A significant relationship was also observed between intention to use and use behavior of pressurized irrigation technology. The employed model explains 72% of behavioral intention variance and 42% of use behavior of pressurized irrigation technology variance among olive farmers. To increase willingness to accept technology among Roudbar County olive farmers, it is suggested to hold extension and education courses by organizations for raising knowledge and awareness of pressurized irrigation technology. Also, olive farmers can be provided with financial resources and knowledge to enable them to adopt this new irrigation technology.
The transition to Agriculture 4.0 creates new responsibilities for farm advisors and initiates changes to the professional trajectories. In this work, following a mixed research design, we examine how Greek advisors experience the transition to and anticipate the future of Agriculture 4.0. We also aim at identifying what elements they are changing in their professional identities to respond to the challenges associated with Agriculture 4.0, which are the new responsibility‐related competency needs that this transition generates, and how conceptions of the future of farming impact upon these needs. Our findings suggest that the transition to Agriculture 4.0 urges the emergence of a new culture, in which data and technology are considered more reliable than human advice, and creates new responsibility gaps. To cope with these changes, advisors add new roles in their professional identities, emphasising the principle of beneficence and paying limited attention to the societal externalities of transition. Advisors view Agriculture 4.0 as a threat or disruption more than as evolution or promise. In parallel, they prioritise different sets of competencies needed to responsibly facilitate agricultural digitalisation, depending on how they grasp the future of Agriculture 4.0.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate respondents’ socio-ecological consciousness (SEC) (knowledge, perceptions, behaviour, habits and feelings) concerning household food waste (HFW) and to identify factors that influence attitude concerning HFW. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a questionnaire survey addressing to 279 residents in Western Macedonia, Greece. A principal component analysis was primarily applied to provide a manageable set of variables relevant to SEC. These variables were analyzed according to their positive/negative influence in SEC through descriptive statistics. Independent samples t-test analysis was employed to examine factors that influence HFW. Findings Results show that SEC is formed by three main activities: knowledge, perception and attitude. The survey reveals an inconsistency between existing knowledge and problematic perceptions, while the attitude includes neither harmful nor harmless HFW-related activities. A significant finding is that respondents’ age affects food rejection in different consumption stages in a household. Research limitations/implications Reliance on self-reported data for HFW that concerns a Greek case study does not allow a generalization of results. Practical implications The authors suggest a campaign plan for local bodies. The aim is to enhance respondents’ perceptual abilities and attitude concerning HFW. In order to raise awareness of students and individuals/households, related campaigns could be implemented by educational institutions and other policymakers. Originality/value The survey provides information for HFW, a topic not widely examined in Greece, and it is analyzed for the first time on the basis of SEC theory.
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