A Study of Organic Vegetable Farmers' Attitudes and Practices toward Soil Management in Central and Southern Taiwan

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore organic vegetable farmers' attitudes and practices toward soil management in central and southern Taiwan. A qualitative research approach applying field observation and in-depth interview was employed to collect data. Based on field observation and face-to-face interview with ten farmers, the revealed problems of soil and fertilizer management for organic vegetable farms include drainage, soil salinity, low soil organic matter content, soil compaction, compost maturity, and lack of the experience of soil and fertilizer management. According to participants' value judgments toward soil management, three types of farmers' attitudes were identified: the “economic interest oriented”, the “product improvement oriented”, and the “ecological environment oriented”. Organic vegetable farmers perform a variety of sustainable soil management practices, such as cropping system, utilization of organic fertilizer, rational fertilization, and management of problem soils. The organic vegetable farmers posing different attitudes tend to execute different soil management practices.

本研究主旨在於瞭解有機蔬菜農民土壤管理態度與操作，採取質性研究的方式進行研究，發展訪談大綱，以半結構型訪談蒐集資料。本文以臺灣中南部地區總共七戶的有機蔬菜農場，十位的受訪有機農民，來探討有機蔬菜農民土壤管理態度與操作，研究結果發現受訪農民從事有機栽培的緣由，包括重視健康、改善生產方式、未來趨勢、有機農產品價格的吸引、就業選擇等原因。受訪農民在管理過程中會遇到土壤與肥料管理方面的問題，包含排水問題、土壤鹽害、土壤有機質含量偏低、土壤壓實、有機質肥料腐熟判斷、肥培管理經驗不足等問題。 受訪有機農民對於土壤管理的態度，有「經濟利益取向」、「產品改善取向」、「生態營造取向」等三種態度取向，受訪農民所實行的土壤管理操作，包括耕作制度、有機質肥料的使用、合理化施肥、土壤改良管理等核心概念，而持有不同態度取向的受訪農民，在部分土壤管理操作上也呈現出差異。雖然與慣行農業比較起來，受訪有機農民對土地採取比較友善的管理操作，但是如果從高的有機農業標準來看，部分有機農民無論是態度或是管理操作層面，又似乎不完全符合永續性土壤管理的理念。