Spatial dependence in the adoption of organic drystock farming in Ireland

This article analyzes spatial dependence in the adoption of organic farming. A Bayesian spatial Durbin probit model is applied to survey data of almost 600 Irish drystock farmers. The findings reveal that farmers located in close proximity exhibit similar choice behavior. More specifically, communication and interactions among farmers influence adoption decisions as for example attitudes and social norms were identified to have spatial spillover effects. Overall, the findings from this study highlight that it is important to account for spatial dependence when explaining adoption decisions as this also influences policy recommendations.