Analysis of Factors Influencing Farmers’ Behavior Toward Willingness to Pay for the Development of Sustainable Agricultural Technologies (A Case Study of Farmers in Lorestan Province)

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Nooshin Osooli
Department of Agriculture, Khor.C., Islamic Azad University, Khorramabad, Iran.
10.22034/he.2026.566172.1181
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing farmers’ behavior regarding their willingness to pay (WTP) for the development of sustainable agricultural technologies, with a case study of farmers in Lorestan Province, Iran. This research was descriptive–correlational and employed a field survey method. Data were collected from a sample of 430 wheat and rice farmers in five counties (Khorramabad, Borujerd, Aligudarz, Dorud, and Kuhdasht), selected through stratified random sampling. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Data were analyzed using binary logit and probit econometric models. The results indicated that, on average, 41.9% of farmers in Lorestan Province were willing to pay for pressurized irrigation technology. Findings from the logistic regression model showed that access to financial credit (odds ratio = 2.44) and direct experience of drought (odds ratio = 2.83) were the strongest positive predictors of willingness to pay. In addition, perceived behavioral control (perceived technical capability), positive attitude, and membership in water user cooperatives were identified as other significant positive determinants. Conversely, increasing age had a significant and negative effect on farmers’ willingness to pay. These results emphasize the importance of integrating financial support mechanisms, practical training programs to reduce technology-related apprehension, and targeted interventions in drought-prone areas when designing policies for the development and extension of sustainable agricultural technologies in Lorestan Province.
Keywords
Willingness to Pay
Sustainable Agriculture
Development of Sustainable Technologies
Lorestan Province
Subjects
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Human Ecology
Volume 5, Issue 14
Spring 2026
Pages 2114-2123