Although the reduction of plant protection products in vineyards and olive groves requires the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, vine and olive growers bear the greatest responsibility. Without growers transitioning their pest and disease control methods in favor of alternative pesticide-reducing innovations, achieving reduction targets would prove challenging. Therefore, we conducted an investigation into the adoption intentions among 354 vine and olive growers regarding four pesticide-reducing innovations being tested under the NOVATERRA project.
Our preliminary findings reveal that vine and olive growers generally hold positive attitudes toward adopting alternative innovations, albeit with a preference for partial adoption. Adoption rates show improvement when growers are informed about consumers’ willingness to pay higher premiums for products produced with limited pesticide use. Environmental attitudes, cost of innovations and perceived effectiveness of existing practices are among the key factors influencing their adoption intentions.
These results underscore the need to reassess the cost of innovations and explore avenues to reduce adoption expenses for vine and olive growers. Such insights are crucial for facilitating widespread adoption of pesticide-reducing innovations, thereby advancing sustainable agricultural practices in vineyards and olive groves.
