@article{Hattam:7979,
      recid = {7979},
      author = {Hattam, Caroline and Holloway, Garth J.},
      title = {Bayes Estimates of Time to Organic Certification},
      address = {2007},
      number = {349-2016-17902},
      series = {Conference Paper},
      pages = {26},
      year = {2007},
      abstract = {The adoption of organic production has increased  dramatically over recent years, especially in less  developed countries. However, little information is  available about who adopts, the difficulties they face in  converting and how these factors vary over time. Using  small-scale avocado producers (<15ha) from Michoacán,  Mexico as a case study, this paper explores the factors  affecting the time-to-adoption of organic production and  certification, drawing from five parametric descriptions of  the data. These models are implemented using a Bayesian  approach and advances in Markov chain Monte Carlo methods.  The results indicate that additional sources of income,  together with membership of producers' associations, higher  levels of education and experience of export markets, other  than the US, have a positive effect on the adoption  decision. Labour requirements and administrative capacity  appear to be unimportant, while information sources and the  frequency of contact with these sources have a varied, but  largely negative effect on the probability of adoption.  These findings raise a number of questions about the future  of organic production in Mexico and the avocado zone, not  least how to overcome credit and information constraints,  but more importantly whether aiming for the organic market  is a viable production strategy for small-scale producers.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/7979},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.7979},
}