Factors Influencing the Adoption of Organic Farming Practices in Ondo State

Interest in organic farming as a sustainable agricultural approach has grown in Nigerian policy circles, driven by concerns over soil health, input cost escalation, and export market requirements for organic certification. In Ondo State, in the South West geopolitical zone, cocoa and food crop farmers have expressed varying degrees of interest in organic production, but adoption drivers and constraints are not well characterised. This study examines the factors influencing adoption of organic farming practices among crop farmers in Ondo State. A sample of 145 farmers was selected through stratified random sampling from cocoa and food crop farming communities in four local government areas. Adoption was defined as the concurrent use of at least two organic management practices including composting, green manuring, and biological pest control. A logistic regression model was used to identify adoption determinants. Results indicate that 33 percent of respondents qualified as partial adopters of organic practices. Significant positive predictors of adoption include access to organic farming training, education level above primary school, and participation in farmer field schools. Negative predictors include dependency on chemical inputs for pest management and absence of premium markets for organically labelled produce. The study concludes that organic practice adoption in Ondo State is feasible but requires a supporting market infrastructure that rewards farmers for organic production. Recommendations include establishing an organic produce certification scheme and integrating organic methods into state extension curricula. Keywords: organic farming, adoption, Ondo State, sustainable agriculture, certification