Role of rural women in organic farming: A case study from Turkey

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to determine the participation tendencies in organic agriculture activities of women living in rural areas of the northwestern part of Turkey. The data were collected from 183 rural women by simple random sampling method. The survey was conducted from March to May 2020. The data were evaluated by descriptive statistics, a participation index score and multiple regression analysis. According to the results of the participation index score, rural women’s participation of in organic farming activities was highest in the fertilizer application stage and the least in the marketing stage. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between the participation level of rural women in organic farming activities and socio-economic characteristics (age, education level, household size, organic farming experience, household income, agricultural land asset and participation in agricultural training programs). As a result, the findings of the study are expected to make significant contributions to rural development, province economy and further emphasizing the importance of rural women in organic farming activities.