Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale

Under-use of genetic improvement tools and low participation in breeding programmes are key drivers of breeding programmes under-performance. Both aspects are heavily influenced by farmers attitudes which, to date, have not been analysed in an objective and systematic manner. A key factor constraini...

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Autores: Martin-Collado, D., Díaz, C., Benito-Ruiz, G., Ondé, D., Rubio, A., Byrne, T.J.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Zaragoza
Repositorio:Zaguán. Repositorio Digital de la Universidad de Zaragoza
OAI Identifier:oai:zaguan.unizar.es:106157
Acceso en línea:http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/106157
Access Level:acceso abierto
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spelling Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude ScaleMartin-Collado, D.Díaz, C.Benito-Ruiz, G.Ondé, D.Rubio, A.Byrne, T.J.Under-use of genetic improvement tools and low participation in breeding programmes are key drivers of breeding programmes under-performance. Both aspects are heavily influenced by farmers attitudes which, to date, have not been analysed in an objective and systematic manner. A key factor constraining the implementation of attitudinal studies towards livestock breeding tools is the lack of a reference scale for measuring attitudes. In this research, we provide the livestock breeding sector with such a reference measure. We developed the scale following the standardized psychometric methodologies and statistical tools. Then, as a case study, we used the scale to explore the attitudes of beef and dairy sheep farmers in Australia, New Zealand and Spain and analysed farmer and farming system factors related to those attitudes. Fourteen sheep and beef breed associations facilitated the implementation of a survey of 547 farmers, generating data that was used for the scale evaluation. The relationship between attitudinal factors and farmer and farming system factors was analysed using generalized linear models across and within breeds. The results suggest that the 8-item definitive scale we have developed is appropriate to measure farmer attitudes. We found that attitudes towards genetic improvement tools have two components; i) traditional selection and ii) genetic and genomic selection combined. This means that positive attitudes towards traditional phenotypic selection do not necessarily imply a negative attitude towards genetic and genomic selection tools. Farmer attitudes varied greatly not only across the studied breeds, species and countries, but also within them. High-educated farmers of business-oriented farms tend to have the most negative attitude towards traditional selection. However, attitudes towards genetic and genomic selection tools could not be linked to these factors. Finally, we found that the breed raised had a large effect on farmer attitude. These findings may help in the evolution of breeding programmes by identifying both the farmers most inclined to uptake breeding innovations in the early stages of its establishment and the farmers who would be more reluctant to participate in such programmes, thus informing where to focus extension efforts.2021info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://zaguan.unizar.es/record/106157reponame:Zaguán. Repositorio Digital de la Universidad de Zaragozainstname:Universidad de ZaragozaInglésinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MAPA/EG17-09info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:zaguan.unizar.es:1061572026-05-29T13:59:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
title Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
spellingShingle Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
Martin-Collado, D.
title_short Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
title_full Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
title_fullStr Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
title_full_unstemmed Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
title_sort Measuring farmers' attitude towards breeding tools: the Livestock Breeding Attitude Scale
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Martin-Collado, D.
Díaz, C.
Benito-Ruiz, G.
Ondé, D.
Rubio, A.
Byrne, T.J.
author Martin-Collado, D.
author_facet Martin-Collado, D.
Díaz, C.
Benito-Ruiz, G.
Ondé, D.
Rubio, A.
Byrne, T.J.
author_role author
author2 Díaz, C.
Benito-Ruiz, G.
Ondé, D.
Rubio, A.
Byrne, T.J.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
description Under-use of genetic improvement tools and low participation in breeding programmes are key drivers of breeding programmes under-performance. Both aspects are heavily influenced by farmers attitudes which, to date, have not been analysed in an objective and systematic manner. A key factor constraining the implementation of attitudinal studies towards livestock breeding tools is the lack of a reference scale for measuring attitudes. In this research, we provide the livestock breeding sector with such a reference measure. We developed the scale following the standardized psychometric methodologies and statistical tools. Then, as a case study, we used the scale to explore the attitudes of beef and dairy sheep farmers in Australia, New Zealand and Spain and analysed farmer and farming system factors related to those attitudes. Fourteen sheep and beef breed associations facilitated the implementation of a survey of 547 farmers, generating data that was used for the scale evaluation. The relationship between attitudinal factors and farmer and farming system factors was analysed using generalized linear models across and within breeds. The results suggest that the 8-item definitive scale we have developed is appropriate to measure farmer attitudes. We found that attitudes towards genetic improvement tools have two components; i) traditional selection and ii) genetic and genomic selection combined. This means that positive attitudes towards traditional phenotypic selection do not necessarily imply a negative attitude towards genetic and genomic selection tools. Farmer attitudes varied greatly not only across the studied breeds, species and countries, but also within them. High-educated farmers of business-oriented farms tend to have the most negative attitude towards traditional selection. However, attitudes towards genetic and genomic selection tools could not be linked to these factors. Finally, we found that the breed raised had a large effect on farmer attitude. These findings may help in the evolution of breeding programmes by identifying both the farmers most inclined to uptake breeding innovations in the early stages of its establishment and the farmers who would be more reluctant to participate in such programmes, thus informing where to focus extension efforts.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021
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url http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/106157
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MAPA/EG17-09
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
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dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Zaguán. Repositorio Digital de la Universidad de Zaragoza
instname:Universidad de Zaragoza
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