Opinions and Perceptions on Sustainable Weed Management: A Comparison between Greek and Tunisian Farmers

Abstract

Societal awareness, demand for innovative food systems and increasing herbicide resistance have induced policy, regulatory and research actions towards the adoption of sustainable weed management, which is based on sustainable, integrated and ecological principles. The study investigates farmers’ perceptions with regard to sustainable weed management, considering that the adoption of relevant practices depends on a set of farmer-specific and innovation-specific attributes. To achieve this purpose, an on-site survey was conducted in Greece and Tunisia based on a structured questionnaire, which was completed by 105 arable farmers in total. The questionnaire was designed to record farmers’ opinions and preferences regarding aspects related to sustainable weed management, such as innovation and the decision making process. Using descriptive statistics methods, the study pinpointed significant differences between the responses of Greek and Tunisian farmers due to their particular needs and characteristics, suggesting thus the integration of targeted approaches towards the expansion of sustainable weed management.

Keywords

• weeds
• questionnaire survey
• innovation
• decision making