Among the goals it has set for 2030, the European Union aims to ensure that at least one quarter of agricultural land is farmed using organic or ecological practices. In this race, Andalusia holds a significant advantage: over 50% of Spain's organic farming is concentrated in the south, making its lands a testing ground for policies that encourage and promote these practices. Until now, however, the motivations behind choosing organic practices over others had not been thoroughly studied. A team from the University of Córdoba surveyed around 200 farmers and reached a conclusion: moral motivations (concern for the environment and the social ecosystem) are just as important as those linked to profitability.
"The data reveal a strong balance between what we call the rational, utilitarian, and moral dimensions. In other words, environmental awareness is on par with personal and economic interests," explained Sandra Sánchez Cañizares, who co-authored the study with Javier Cabeza Ramírez, Miguel González Mohino, and José Antonio López Castro in the University of Córdoba's Business Organization Department.
For this study, recently published in the Journal of Environmental Management and conducted as part of a project entitled "Designing effective policies for the ecological transition of agriculture. A microeconomic approach", under the auspices of the Andalusian Plan for Research, Development, and Innovation, the team reached out to agricultural cooperatives and conducted in-person interviews with some 200 farmers from all across Andalusia, particularly from Córdoba, Málaga, and Seville. Subsequently, to classify and process the information gathered, the team combined several theoretical models: the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Norm Activation Model.
As Javier Cabeza Ramírez explained, the study's key contribution lies in its focus on the farmers themselves, rather than on economic or business variables. "Most studies on organic farming focus on the type of crop, the business model, or the subsidies received, while overlooking the farmer, who is really the key player," the researcher stated. In this case, "we have focused on their motivations to better understand the Andalusian context, so that we can export it as a model to other parts of Europe."
Recipes for a practical agricultural policy
The results highlight the diversity within Andalusia's agricultural sector, where professionals with varying sociodemographic profiles coexist and have differing relationships with the organic model. Therefore, as Sandra Sánchez Cañizares pointed out, "if the European Union wants to promote organic farming, it needs to diversify its policies based on different profiles and needs."
At this point, the study suggests targeting retention-focused policies—with simplified administration and procedures as the key selling point—at farmers who have already embraced the organic model. For those who are reluctant to adopt it, the study suggests designing policies focused on appealing to their moral convictions regarding the environment and providing the training and assistance necessary for the transition to the new model.
Understanding why something works is key to exporting successful models. In a Spain that is still far from meeting the EU's 2030 goals, Andalusia, with over 1.4 million hectares dedicated to organic farming, stands as a beacon, guiding the rest of Europe on the path forward.
Data/statistical analysis
People
An integrated model to assess the psychosocial determinants of the intention to adopt organic farming practices
15-Apr-2026