THE ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ ENVIRONMENTAL MORAL NORMS: THE CASE OF SHIRAZ COUNTY FARMERS

So far, many technological solutions, like precision agriculture, offered to solve environmental challenges. But nowadays, ethical dimension has been added to other dimensions to protection of environment which shows the importance of attention to soft dimension beside hard dimensions in protection of environment. This research implemented for investigation of environmental moral norms among farmers in Shiraz County. In this study, survey technique and questionnaire instrument have been used to collect data from 272 farmers as a sample. Questionnaire validity was confirmed by agricultural extension and education experts, and its’ reliability was confirmed by pilot study and Cronbach’s Alpha. In this research, based on virtue theory, four types of environmental moral norms such as profit-centered orientation, water saving, taking responsibility and forecasting were investigated among farmers community. Results showed many farmers in spite of incidental acceptation of taking responsibility for consumers health, other organisms and biosphere, are following only their profits by excessive use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides and burning residuals. In other hand, many farmers in spite of incidental acceptation of future generation rights to use natural resources have a little forethought and practice unsustainable behaviors that can decrease future generation ability to use these resources. At the end, some suggestions recommended for farmers’ practical commitment to environmental moral norms.