Factors affecting attitudes toward groundwater pollution among Ohio farmers

ABSTRACT:

Data were collected from 1305 farm owner operators in the Scioto River watershed in Ohio using a systematic random sampling technique to examine factors affecting attitudes toward groundwater pollution. A social learning-farm structure model was developed to guide the investigation. Study findings revealed the theoretical perspective was useful for predicting attitudes toward groundwater pollution. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that eight variables were significant at the .05 level in explaining 33.8 percent of the variance in a composite index developed to measure attitudes toward groundwater pollution. Farmers who believed that pesticides and fertilizers in groundwater posed a threat to family health tended to perceive that groundwater pollution was an important environmental issue. They were also more willing to force land operators to use groundwater protection practices, Farmers who indicated they were more knowledgeable of ground-water problems in county of residence tended to perceive that groundwater pollution was less important as an environmental issue and were less willing to force land operators to change farming practices. Study findings revealed that farm structure. Factors were less useful in predicting attitudes toward groundwater pollution than social learning factors However, several farm structure variables were shown to be significant at the .05 level. Respondents who cultivated more land, had higher debt to asset ratios, were more specialized in grain production, and perceived that production costs would increase if groundwater protection practices were adopted tended to perceive groundwater to be less important as an environmental issue and were less willing to force land operators to change farming practices.