Relationship Between Innovation and Sustainability in Farms Producing Paddy in Bafra District of Samsun, Turkey

Abstract

The purposes of the study focused on the relationship between innovation and sustainability were to (i) measure the sustainability level and the level of benefiting from innovation in farms producing paddy in Bafra district of Samsun and (ii) explore the relationship between innovation and sustainability. The research data sources were farms producing paddy, previous studies related paddy, related institutions, view of academician and technical person in the research area and field observation. The farm level data covered the period of 2013 and collected from randomly selected 60 farms by using well-structured questionnaire. To measure economic, environmental and social sustainability, sustainability index was used while we used innovation index for exploring the level of benefiting innovation. Research results revealed that economic performance and innovation capacity of second group farms was better comparing to rest. Research results also showed that the sustainability was higher in farms that their benefiting level from innovation is high. Positive effects of innovation on sustainability were lower than of second and third ones. The study suggests initiating the farmers’ education program based on farmers’ need. For small scale farms that their benefiting level from innovation was low, financial and infra structure support may strength the relationship between innovation and sustainability.

Keywords: Paddy farms, innovation, sustainability, Samsun