Analysis of producer behavior towards organic vegetables in Vientiane capital, Lao PDR

Abstract

The study investigated the behavior of producers towards organic vegetables to determine the main factors influencing households’ income and analyze the challenges of producing organic vegetables. Organic agriculture can bring benefits to sustainable production and be a major source of households’ income. The Lao government is promoting and supporting clean agriculture in potential areas where the conditions of production and marketing are proper. Organic agriculture can help farmers increase their incomes and help people improve their health conditions. Organic agriculture has significant potential in Laos since several conditions of a traditional farming system can easily adapt to the organic farming system. Organic vegetables can create a value chain with government certification. However, the Lao government has difficulty recommending organic agriculture to farmers. The study collected 272 individual farm households cultivating organic vegetables in six districts in Vientiane’s capital, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The analysis was considered for both descriptive statistics and an ordered logistic model. The results from the ordered logit model show that age, higher education level, organic vegetable area, and selling frequencies are positive and statistically significant. The study can contribute to the next five-year plan of clean agricultural programs for agriculture and forestry development.