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Do organic farmers feel happier than conventional ones? An exploratory analysis

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  • Mzoughi, Naoufel

Abstract

We examine the relationship between organic farming and subjective well-being or life satisfaction. Applying an ordered probit model to a sample of French farmers located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) area (Southeast), we find that organic farmers report higher levels of life satisfaction, compared to the conventional ones. Moreover, this positive relationship holds for both recently-converted and earlier-converted farmers. Our findings also show that subjective well-being is positively associated with income, profitability, satisfaction at work, social recognition, and good health.

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  • Mzoughi, Naoufel, 2014. "Do organic farmers feel happier than conventional ones? An exploratory analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 38-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:103:y:2014:i:c:p:38-43
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.04.015
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    4. Pellegrin, Claire & Grolleau, Gilles & Mzoughi, Naoufel & Napoleone, Claude, 2018. "Does the Identifiable Victim Effect Matter for Plants? Results From a Quasi-experimental Survey of French Farmers," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 106-113.
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    7. Ghislain B. D. Aïhounton & Arne Henningsen, 2024. "Organic Farming and Happiness: A Path Analysis," IFRO Working Paper 2024/01, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    8. Schaak, Henning & Mußhoff, Oliver, 2018. "Understanding the adoption of grazing practices in German dairy farming," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 230-239.
    9. Zeng, Yangmei & He, Ke & Zhang, Junbiao & Li, Ping, 2023. "Adoption and ex-post impacts of sustainable manure management practices on income and happiness: Evidence from swine breeding farmers in rural Hubei, China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    10. Xing Ji & Jia Chen & Hongxiao Zhang, 2023. "Agricultural Specialization Threatens Sustainable Mental Health: Implications for Chinese Farmers’ Subjective Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-22, October.
    11. Xinyao Li & Xicong Wang & Yangyang Zhu & Zhe Liu & Zhenhong Qi, 2024. "Does Ecological Planting–Breeding Mix Pattern Improve Farmers’ Subjective Well-Being? Evidence from the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-19, March.
    12. François J Dessart & Jesús Barreiro-Hurlé & René van Bavel, 2019. "Behavioural factors affecting the adoption of sustainable farming practices: a policy-oriented review," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 46(3), pages 417-471.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Happiness; Organic farming; Satisfaction; Subjective well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • Q19 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Other
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

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